Amazon has said it will keep its six warehouses in France closed until at least 22 April after a stand-off with unions over sanitary conditions amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The Seattle, U.S.-based e-commerce giant has been under scrutiny over its working practices on both sides of the Atlantic since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with workers raising concerns over the risks of contagion while fielding shipments.

Unions in France took the firm to court, saying its health protocols were inadequate. While in the U.S., unions claim the company has failed to provide enough face masks, has failed to implement regular temperature checks it promised and has refused to give workers paid sick leave.

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A French court last week ordered Amazon, which employs around 10,000 people in France, to restrict its deliveries to bare essentials, groceries, medical supplies and hygiene products while substantive safety checks are carried out.

French unions are significantly more powerful than their U.S. counterparts. In France, unions represent most employees in a sector, whether they're dues-paying members or not, this ensures companies usually consult union representatives on issues including workplace safety.

The French court said, in its ruling, that Amazon had not consulted with unions on how it would keep workers safe from the coronavirus.

In response, Amazon went further and suspended activity at six so-called fulfilment centers, the name the company gives to its warehouses, where it processes and packs items.

It stated that the court's decision "will likely have consequences for many people in the country" including the smaller businesses that sell their products on Amazon.

The company added that the definition of "essential goods" was not clear and it could not risk being fined, lodging a court appeal now due on 21 April.

"We're waiting with interest for our appeal to be heard," the company said, adding that warehouse employees would have to stay at home until at least 22 April. Amazon had previously said the closures would apply until at least 20 April.

The U.S. firm has encouraged shoppers to keep ordering, and taken out advertisements in French newspapers saying vendors that use Amazon's site to showcase their wares but have their own logistics would still be able to deliver.

In addition, the company has said it will try to minimise disruptions by using other warehouses in Europe to fulfil orders, though some shoppers said they had already been warned of delays of up to four weeks to receive their goods.

France is under virtual lockdown to contain the virus outbreak and most stores except for supermarkets are closed.

The Amazon dispute comes as the government tries to strike a balancing act, ensuring companies are bringing in sanitary precautions while avoiding a total economic shutdown.

Amazon has said its health guidelines are adequate, adding it has provided staff with face masks.

Unions have argued that social distancing is hard to respect in busy warehouses, and want the company to cut back on the number of products it is delivering during the crisis.

In the U.S., where the company has 75 fulfillment centers and more than 125,000 employees, workers have staged walkouts over the company's coronavirus response. On Tuesday, hundreds of workers across the country will stay at home in a coordinated action against the company. Protesting employees state they will continue to call in sick until Amazon implements the safety changes at their fulfillment centers.

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