Apple Stores in France have been fined for forcing employees to work during the night, and have been banned from doing so in the future, a report has revealed.
A report from French news agency AFP reveals that a Paris court has banned seven Apple Stores in France from forcing employees to work between the hours of 9pm and 6am, following complaints filed by labour unions.
In addition, the court has also ordered Apple to pay €10,000 (£8,600) in damages to the unions, and has warned that the company will face a €50,000 (£43,000) for any subsequent violations of the ban.
French labour laws state that making employees work during the night is only allowed in exceptional cases, which must be justified. AFP notes that the Apple Stores in question close to the public at 9pm, but employees are often required to work until 11pm tidy the shop floor etc.
"This decision is every good and reflects the desire of Justice to enforce the night work," said Eric Scherrer from CFTC, one of the unions that filed complaints against Apple, noting that making employees work at night deserves "a severe sentence."
"We are asking only that the law be respected," added the SUD labour union's Thomas Bordage.
A further ruling on the matter is expected on 16 April.
See also:
ITC postpones decision on iPhone, iPad sales ban
EU privacy watchdogs tell app developers and app stores to take care of users' data
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