The CGT, which is leading the ongoing strikes at TotalEnergies, says it is ready to start negotiations on Monday on the single issue of wage increases, setting aside its hiring and investment demands. according to an open letter sent Saturday to the group’s CEO.
“In order to break the impasse, we reiterate our request to open negotiations, in the hope that they will finally listen to it. We are ready to start them on Monday only on the basis of our salary demand”, writes Éric Sellini, CGT coordinator of TotalEnergies, in this letter addressed to the group’s CEO, Patrick Pouyanné and published on Twitter.
The CGT demands an increase of 10% compared to 2022: 7% for inflation, 3% for “wealth distribution”, while the group made $10.6 billion in profits in the first half.
For its part, the management recalls that it has granted salary measures that represent an average increase of 3.5% in 2022 and refers to a negotiation session scheduled for November 15 for the salaries of 2023. It seems inflexible in this calendar.
“The problem of employment and investment”, left aside
In addition to raising wages, the CGT has been calling for several months for a “unfreezing of hiring” in France and “a massive investment plan” in France. “If that can move things forward, we are leaving aside for the moment the problem of employment and investment,” Éric Sellini told AFP.
“The situation of shortages in the country, as a result of the impossibility of discussing wage measures with employers, causes strong discontent, and threatens to slow down the country’s economy,” adds the email to justify this concession, also recalling the government’s support for the salary increases.
“2,620 million euros for shareholders”
“The employees of our company, through their work, have enabled the Group to make stratospheric profits,” their letter continues. “Proof of this is the ability of the general management to very quickly release an exceptional provision of 2,620 million euros for shareholders.”
TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné has not spoken publicly about the strike so far, but in an internal group video on Tuesday he acknowledged that “the company’s results are exceptional in 2022” and said “we will not forget it”.
Asked about France Inter on Saturday, the general secretary of the CFDT, Laurent Berger, disapproved for his part of these “preventive strikes”, and considered it necessary to go through a negotiation first.
Source: BFM TV
