Difficult for some motorists to find gasoline or diesel for ten days: around 15% of French gas stations have currently run out of one or more fuels, a figure advanced by several ministers. In addition to the 20-cent bonus at pumps granted by TotalEnergies since September 1, which has boosted consumption at the group’s service stations, strikes at refineries and fuel depots are interrupting supply in France.
The TotalEnergies platform in Normandy, in Gonfreville-L’Orcher (near Le Havre), is currently closed. Since September 27, a strike at the initiative of the CGT has paralyzed the activity of the largest refinery in France (it represents 22% of the refining capacity in France alone, according to the Ufip). The strikers demand a 10% wage increase by 2022, which includes “7% for inflation and 3% for the distribution of wealth,” a CGT union representative told AFP on Thursday, referring to to the profits obtained by the group since the beginning of the year.
Failure of annual negotiations
Together with the Norman employees, the strikers also blockade the “biorefinery” of La Mède (Bouches-du-Rhône) and the fuel depot in Flanders (North). Due to the reduced number of strikers, the activity at the Feyzin refinery (Rhône) is less interrupted. The strikers at the Donges (Loire-Atlantique) and Grandpuits (Seine-et-Marne) refineries – the latter being converted and serving as a fuel depot – have already voted, instead, for the resumption of the exercise. However, a strike day is scheduled for October 14 in Donges.
In addition, the two refineries owned by ExxonMobil (Esso gas stations) have also been closed since the end of September. The union organizations launched a strike movement due to the failure of the first annual negotiations. The strike continues in Fos-sur-Mer (Bouches-du-Rhône), as well as in Port-Jérôme-sur-Seine (Seine-Maritime). At the Norman site, strikers voted this Friday morning by a show of hands to continue the strike at least until next Monday at 2:00 p.m., according to BFMTV.
The Government asks for “efforts”
“We have more than 400 million euros of net profit in the first half, especially due to the extremely high fuel prices, so we demand that this created wealth be redistributed a little among the workers and at least allow inflation to be covered”, Germinal Lancelin, general secretary of the CGT ExxonMobil Chimie, advances to BFMTV.
The Government tries to calm the situation and has asked the oil companies to make “efforts” to put an end to the strikes. “I call on the companies in question, most of which still have good results, to also consider requests for salary increases,” Olivia Grégoire, Delegate Minister for Small and Medium Enterprises, told Franceinfo. The Deputy Minister for Transport, Clément Beaune, has assured that the Executive is “in connection” with TotalEnergies “to try to facilitate social dialogue”.
In addition, no strike today affects the PetroIneos refinery in Lavéra, located near Martigues (Bouches-du-Rhône), nor that of SARA in the West Indies.
Source: BFM TV
