The iPhone 15 release in France overshadowed by strike action from Apple employees
Apple employees around France went on strike last week to demand greater wages as well as increased hiring efforts. The strike action took place at the same time as the iPhone 15 release, and customers who wanted to purchase the new phone had to cross the picket line. Apple workers are represented by Cidre-CTC, and the union stated that negotiations with Apple have not been progressing over the past couple of months. Apple employees seeking wage raises that match France’s rising inflation. Apple offered a 4.5% increase in wages, which is below the current rate of inflation in France as well as the union demands. The union is also demanding that Apple’s hiring efforts resume, after a company hiring freeze that has been in place in the past months.
See "The iPhone 15 release in France overshadowed by strike action from Apple employees", Elaine Cobbe, CBS News, September 25, 2023