Amazon France shuts facilities after court ruling

By Cindi Cook

PARIS (AA) – Amazon France announced Thursday it will shut six distribution facilities after a court ruled it should stop delivering non-essential goods during the coronavirus pandemic.

The facilities will remain shuttered for five days pending the legal proceedings. All 10,000 Amazon employees will be paid a full salary during the closure.

A court in Nantere, a small city on the outskirts of Paris, issued the ruling after it found Amazon negligent in the handling of worker safety in light of COVID-19.

Amazon has a month to review its procedures that comply to the pandemic.

The online retail giant on its part said it was “perplexed” at the decision and it was following social distancing rules at the site.

"We have implemented all the measures requested by health agencies from the start and we have gone even further. Social distancing in our warehouses is two metres away. We wear the masks. We do temperature checks at the entry to our distribution centers every day,” said Director General of Amazon France Frederic Duval in a statement to Franceinfo.

France's biggest trade union SUD took Amazon to court alleging that in direct opposition to coronavirus measures workers were carrying out day-to-day tasks too close together.

Multiple employee walkouts have also occurred at several Amazon facilities.

For the time being, Amazon is allowed deliveries of food, hygiene, and medical products only. The company has said it will appeal the decision.