E-commerce giant Amazon shut down all six of its warehouses in France on Wednesday after a court ruled that the company stop shipping and receiving non-essential items to protect employees from the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. The closures will last from Thursday to April 20, with workers still being paid during the time period.

On Tuesday, a court ruled Amazon “failed to recognise its obligations regarding the security and health of its workers” amid the pandemic, restricting Amazon shipments to essential items such as food, hygiene products or medicine. If Amazon violates the ruling, the company could incur fines of one million euros ($1.1 million) per day.

“Following the judgement of a French court on Tuesday, we have to temporarily suspend operations in our Fulfilment Centres in France. This is in spite of the huge investment we made in additional safety measures to keep our hard-working, dedicated colleagues safe, while ensuring they had continued employment at this difficult time,” an Amazon spokesperson told the Verge.

The lawsuit against Amazon was filed by the union SUD-Commerce.

The Amazon warehouses employ over 10,000 permanent and interim workers, according to ABC News.

Amazon has been criticized for its safety policies amid the coronavirus outbreak, which include demonstrations at the company’s warehouse in Staten Island, New York. Employees want the company to completely close down and sanitize the warehouse, after a worker there tested positive for the virus. In response, Amazon fired the worker who organized the protest, claiming he was not following social distancing measures. The company claims it has implemented temperature checks at many of its locations, along with making hand sanitizer and protective gear widely available to employees.

RELATED STORIES
Coronavirus Amazon