Unions at Apple France Stores Call for Strike Ahead of iPhone 15 Launch

Unions at the Apple France stores have called for a walkout on Friday and Saturday ahead of the launch of the new iPhone 15 model, demanding better pay and working conditions.

Strike Announcement on Social Media

“Management having decided to ignore our perfectly legitimate demands and concerns, the four unions of Apple Retail France …call for a strike on Sept. 22 and 23,” CGT Apple Retail said in a union front statement on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday.

Demonstration at Paris Opera Garnier

The unions also called for workers to demonstrate on Friday morning at the Paris Opera Garnier, which is next to one of Apple’s flagship stores in Paris.

CGT Apple Retail union member Karine Chouchane told the French daily Liberation that Apple France workers may mobilize in three quarters of Apple’s stores in France.

No Immediate Comment from Apple France

Apple France could not immediately be reached for comment.

French Government Suspends Sales of iPhone 12

Last week, Apple was rocked by a French government decision to suspend sales of iPhone 12 handsets after tests that it said found breaches of radiation exposure limits.

On Friday, Apple pledged to update the software on iPhone 12s in France to settle the dispute over radiation levels, but concerns in other European countries signaled it may have to take similar action elsewhere.