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Unions say they expect customers to feel a “trickle-down effect” of the strikes, as Apple prepares to launch its new iPhone 15.
French Apple Stores are calling for a strike on Friday and Saturday — when the new iPhone 15 is due to be released — over salary demands.
ADVERTISEMENT“As management has decided to ignore our demands and concerns, despite the fact that they are perfectly legitimate, the four Apple Retail France unions (as well as representatives of the Barcelona and corporate teams) are calling for strike action on 22 and 23 September,” the CGT Apple Retail union said on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.
This call to strike, which is expected to affect the majority of the 20 Apple Stores in France, will also be marked by a demonstration outside the Opéra Apple Store in Paris, one of the Apple brand’s flagship stores, at 9:30 CET on Friday, according to the unions.
It comes as Apple prepares to launch its new iPhone 15 on Friday, which was announced to the public on 12 September.
The strike and demonstrations follow a breakdown in negotiations between French unions and company management, particularly on the context of wage increases in a time of heightened inflation.
The unions are demanding a 7% pay rise, while management is proposing 4.5% on average.
“The aim is not to blockade the shops, but to make people, both management and the general public, aware of the problem,” Albin Voulfow, CFDT union delegate for Apple Retail France, told AFP. He said he expects customers to experience a “trickle-down effect” over the two days.
“Normally, the launch (of a new iPhone) is a celebration, but this time we’re not in the mood to celebrate”, he added.
The launch of the iPhone 15 in France comes at a time when Apple has been forced to update all its iPhone 12s sold on the French market to comply with European standards on electromagnetic radiation levels and lift their marketing ban.
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