Apple France Workers Call Strike Ahead of iPhone 15 Launch

An Apple Logo banner hangs from the facade of an Apple store near The Opera Garnier in Paris on July 1, 2010, ahead of its opening in the French capital. (AFP)
An Apple Logo banner hangs from the facade of an Apple store near The Opera Garnier in Paris on July 1, 2010, ahead of its opening in the French capital. (AFP)
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Apple France Workers Call Strike Ahead of iPhone 15 Launch

An Apple Logo banner hangs from the facade of an Apple store near The Opera Garnier in Paris on July 1, 2010, ahead of its opening in the French capital. (AFP)
An Apple Logo banner hangs from the facade of an Apple store near The Opera Garnier in Paris on July 1, 2010, ahead of its opening in the French capital. (AFP)

Unions at Apple's stores in France have called for a strike on Friday and Saturday, when the iPhone 15 is due to be launched, demanding better pay and working conditions.

Apple unions including CGT, Unsa, CFDT and Cidre-CFTC have asked for a 7% wage increase to compensate for inflation, and an end to a months-long hiring freeze. Management did not want to offer more than a 4.5% hike, union officials said.

Apple France did not return a request for comment.

"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 statement on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday.

It added that representatives of Apple France's corporate division and Apple's Barcelona team in Spain also called for a strike.

The unions called for workers to demonstrate on Friday morning at Opera Garnier, next to Apple's flagship Paris store.

A CGT Apple Retail union official said the call for a strike had been sent to Apple's 20 French stores. Apple has nine stores in the Paris region, including three in central Paris, and two in Lyon. Other cities with Apple stores include Marseille, Lille and Strasbourg.

"On Tuesday we had a teleconference meeting with Apple's European bosses. They basically said 'you are doing pretty well, do not complain,'" the CGT official said.

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

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



SDAIA Deploys AI Solutions to Streamline Pilgrim Entry at King Abdulaziz Airport, Jeddah Islamic Port

The effort included preparing technical infrastructure at designated entry points to accommodate Hajj arrivals by air and sea. SPA
The effort included preparing technical infrastructure at designated entry points to accommodate Hajj arrivals by air and sea. SPA
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SDAIA Deploys AI Solutions to Streamline Pilgrim Entry at King Abdulaziz Airport, Jeddah Islamic Port

The effort included preparing technical infrastructure at designated entry points to accommodate Hajj arrivals by air and sea. SPA
The effort included preparing technical infrastructure at designated entry points to accommodate Hajj arrivals by air and sea. SPA

The Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) has deployed data and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies at King Abdulaziz International Airport and Jeddah Islamic Port to streamline entry procedures for pilgrims.

The effort included preparing technical infrastructure at designated entry points to accommodate Hajj arrivals by air and sea.

SDAIA provides comprehensive technical and operational support to ensure smooth operations at the Hajj terminals of King Abdulaziz International Airport. This includes equipping workstations, integrating them with government systems, preparing data centers, and securing primary and backup communication services to ensure uninterrupted functionality.

SDAIA also installed and activated biometric stations at the airport, upgraded devices with certified systems, and trained personnel from partner agencies on the use of Hajj-specific platforms and systems, contributing to reduced processing times for pilgrims.

In addition, the national integrated app Tawakkalna offers services tailored for Hajj, including the display of permits issued through the unified digital platform for Hajj authorization, known as the Makkah Entry Permit Portal.

The portal issues licenses and permits for both domestic and international Hajj pilgrims, authorizing access to Makkah and the holy sites through technical integration with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah via the Nusuk platform.