In the standoff between Amazon and 44 employees of the Gidy site, the courts have decided: while considering that there has been an abusive exercise of the right to strike, the Orleans court does not pronounce any sanction vis- vis-a-vis the employees and rejects Amazon‘s demands.

It’s a time of relief for the 44 employees sued by Amazon in Gidy. The e-commerce giant had summoned them to the Orleans court for abusive exercise of the right to strike – in this case, blocking the site last week to demand a salary increase. Amazon demanded a penalty of 300 euros per employee (for legal costs): it will not be.

In its judgment delivered this Friday morning, the court considers that there was a total blockage of the site by the strikers, during the morning of Wednesday March 15. “The result is an abusive exercise of the right to strike, constituting a manifestly unlawful disorder.” But, underline the judges, “it should be noted that this disorder has ended” since the movement was lifted last Monday, and to recall that “the judge in chambers cannot order an expulsion in futurum in the event of a possible resumption of the blockage “. Amazon is therefore dismissed on its claims for compensation. The company estimated that 220,000 packages got stuck on the site during this strike and were unable to leave the Gidy dispatch hall.

Strikers will have to change methods next time

“This court decision is obviously a relief for the employees since there is no financial condemnation, no penalty or payment of the legal costs of the company Amazon, reacts Me Sylvie Mazardo, who defended one of the In addition, Amazon will not be able to seize this judgment to initiate possible disciplinary sanctions vis-a-vis the employees it had assigned. Despite everything, insists the lawyer, the decision of the court sounds a bit like a warning for the employees: “The court nevertheless concluded that there had been an abusive use of the right to strike, which we contested. This gives a bit of the methodology for the future: during the next movement, the strikers will have to operate differently on this site if they do not want to be sanctioned this time.