The Amazon warehouse in Brétigny-sur-Orge (Essonne). – AFP
French warehousesAmazon, closed since April 16, will be able to reopen on May 19. “The trade unions CFDT, CGT, FO and SUD and the management of Amazon have just agreed on the conditions for resuming the activity of the six warehouses located in our territory, from May 19,” triumphantly announced the unions, even before the company communicated.
The American giant e-commerce confirmed for its part finalizing “currently discussions with employee representatives and the social and economic committees of the company [des] sites “for a” gradual reopening of distribution centers from May 19 “.
The six Amazon warehouses in France have been closed since April 16, after two judgments ordering the companyConduct a risk assessment of the coronavirus with staff representatives.
“Recovery Will Be Gradual”, Unions Says
Justice pointed to security breaches, especially in the locker rooms or at the entrance gates and especially asked Amazon to consult the staff representatives and not to impose measures unilaterally.
According to the unions, “the recovery will be gradual. It will be done on the principle of volunteering, with incentives ”. The precise terms of this takeover, in particular the “ramp-up” of the number of employees called to work in warehouses must be finalized on Monday during the CSE (social and economic committees).
Laurent Degousée of Sud Commerce, the first union at Amazon, welcomed on Friday a “second victory for the 11,000 employees after the victory of the two judgments, at first instance and on appeal, which made it possible to protect them from the virus”. The Court of Appeal of Versailles confirmed on April 24 the order of April 14 which required Amazon to carry out an assessment of the professional risks linked to the epidemic of Covid-19, and asked him in the meantime to limit itself to essential products (IT, health, nutrition, groceries, etc.) subject to a fine of 100,000 euros per offense.
The online commerce giant, deeming it impossible to comply with this constraint without risking an offense, preferred to close its warehouses, while continuing to deliver from its platforms abroad and certain French sites not affected by the injunction. Warehouse workers remained 100% paid by the company, the French government having refused to take care of them under partial unemployment because the situation did not result from the Covid-19 crisis, but from a court order.
From then on, a sort of arm wrestling seemed engaged between Amazon, the French government and the unions, whose agreement reached on Friday marks the exit. “This is the end of the tunnel, I admit that I did not believe it,” responded Laurent Degousée of Sud-Commerce, at the origin of the complaints before the justice.
For the CFDT, “the resumption of activity under the conditions requested by the union organizations marks Amazon’s recognition of the legitimacy of employee representatives. It shows him the usefulness of social dialogue for economic efficiency in security. ” In an allusion to the legendary reluctance of the online business giant to negotiate with unions, the CFDT even believes that “the positive development of this negotiation is an important step in the acculturation of this company to our country, to its rules , and the requirements of the CFDT for a liveable and dignified world of work. “
It remains to transform the essay: it took two court decisions and the firmness of the government to get Amazon to get along with the unions. For the CFDT, “this agreement should not be the exception of a crisis but the beginning of a lasting and loyal social dialogue”.
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