The French subsidiary of the Swedish furniture store, Ikea, has been found guilty of illegally spying on its employees and aspiring candidates.

Ikea’s French unit has been fined with one million euros ($1.2 million) for illegally spying on hundreds of employees and also job applicants from 2009 to 2012.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ikea-buys-11000-acres-of-forest-in-georgia-to-protect-it-from-development-360430">Ikea buys 11,000 acres of forest in Georgia to protect it from development</a>

"What's at stake is the protection of our private lives against the threat of mass surveillance,"&nbsp;state prosecutor Pamela Tabardel said.

The information being collected involved any previous or current criminal investigations and also their personal lifestyle choices.

In addition to a million dollar fine, the former CEO Jean-Lousi Baillot has also been given a suspended two-year prison sentence. He was also fine 50,000 euros&nbsp; as he was found guilty of "receiving personal data by fraudulent means" while he served as the head between 1996 and 2002.

The prosecutors had accused the furniture store of "mass surveillance" and wanted stricter fines for the company. Baillot, however, was shocked by the sentence and is considering an appeal, his lawyer reported.

Several plaintiffs, in addition to the union representative, felt the punishment was too lenient for such a crime, but are satisfied the company was held guilty.

The French subsidiary of the Swedish furniture store, Ikea, has been found guilty of illegally spying on its employees and aspiring candidates. Ikea’s French unit has been fined with one million euros ($1.

The French subsidiary of the Swedish furniture store, Ikea, has been found guilty of illegally spying on its employees and aspiring candidates. Ikea’s French unit has been fined with one million euros ($1.2 million) for illegally spying on hundreds of employees and also job applicants from 2009 to 2012. Also read | Ikea buys 11,000 acres of forest in Georgia to protect it from development "What's at stake is the protection of our private lives against the threat of mass surveillance," state prosecutor Pamela Tabardel said. The information being collected involved any previous or current criminal investigations and also their personal lifestyle choices. In addition to a million dollar fine, the former CEO Jean-Lousi Baillot has also been given a suspended two-year prison sentence. He was also fine 50,000 euros as he was found guilty of "receiving personal data by fraudulent means" while he served as the head between 1996 and 2002. The prosecutors had accused the furniture store of "mass surveillance" and wanted stricter fines for the company. Baillot, however, was shocked by the sentence and is considering an appeal, his lawyer reported. Several plaintiffs, in addition to the union representative, felt the punishment was too lenient for such a crime, but are satisfied the company was held guilty.

Ikea's French store fined $1.2 million for illegally spying on employees

IKEA said it will close its only US factory at the end of the year, cutting 300 jobs, as it will be more cost-effective to make the products in Europe and import them.

The global big-box furniture store, known for its Swedish meatballs and sometimes incomprehensible assembly instructions, said raw material costs were too high compared to plants in Europe meaning prices at the plant in the southern Virginia town of Danville were "significantly higher."

"We made every effort to improve and maintain the competitiveness of this plant, but unfortunately the right cost conditions are not in place to continue production in Danville, VA for the long-term," Bert Eades, the company's site manager, said in a statement last week.

The factory, which opened in 2008 to produce wood shelves and storage units for the US and Canadian markets, will close in December.&nbsp;

"We will do everything we can in the coming months to support our co-workers through this change as they look for new jobs and training opportunities," Eades said.

IKEA, which has production units at 24 sites in nine countries, with about 20,000 workers, said it will work with labour representatives and US agencies to provide job search assistance. 
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IKEA said it will close its only US factory at the end of the year, cutting 300 jobs, as it will be more cost-effective to make the products in Europe and import them.

IKEA said it will close its only US factory at the end of the year, cutting 300 jobs, as it will be more cost-effective to make the products in Europe and import them. The global big-box furniture store, known for its Swedish meatballs and sometimes incomprehensible assembly instructions, said raw material costs were too high compared to plants in Europe meaning prices at the plant in the southern Virginia town of Danville were "significantly higher." "We made every effort to improve and maintain the competitiveness of this plant, but unfortunately the right cost conditions are not in place to continue production in Danville, VA for the long-term," Bert Eades, the company's site manager, said in a statement last week. The factory, which opened in 2008 to produce wood shelves and storage units for the US and Canadian markets, will close in December. "We will do everything we can in the coming months to support our co-workers through this change as they look for new jobs and training opportunities," Eades said. IKEA, which has production units at 24 sites in nine countries, with about 20,000 workers, said it will work with labour representatives and US agencies to provide job search assistance.

IKEA closing only US furniture factory, cutting 300 jobs

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Ikea's French store fined $1.2 million for illegally spying on employees

IKEA closing only US furniture factory, cutting 300 jobs