Amazon French warehouses unit fined 32 million euros

Amazon France Logistique monitored the performance of employees through datafrom scanners used by the staff to process packages, according to the agency,known by its initials CNIL.
Scanners recorded moments of inactivity exceeding 10 minutes or the handlingof packages and parcels "right up to the second", the CNIL said in astatement.
The other surveillance methods deemed unacceptable by CNIL were the "stowmachine gun" which noted if an article was scanned "too fast" or in less than1.25 seconds.
It said workers were under constant pressure and had to regularly justifyabsences. Even the time between the employees' entry into the warehouse andthe start of work was monitored.
It said they were not adequately informed about the surveillance and the datawas kept for 31 days.
The fine was equivalent to about three percent of the turnover of AmazonFrance Logistique.
An Amazon spokesman said the company rejected the findings as "factuallyincorrect and we reserve the right to appeal", adding that such systems wereneeded "to guarantee security, quality and efficiency".
Several thousand employees were affected by this system, CNIL said. Theregulator opened a probe in 2019 following media articles and complaints byworkers.