Less visible but just as worrying, the strike movement for wage increases at nuclear power plants is taking root and growing, fueled by the mobilization at the refineries.
For two weeks now, the unions have renewed the strike of the maintenance staff every day in several closed or partially closed plants: in Cattenom, Tricastin, Cruas, Bugey and in Gravelines, the most powerful in Western Europe. It is about eight reactors.
This Wednesday, the mobilization was extended to the call of the CGT.
The union is part of the global demand for salary increases in a context of runaway inflation. And in its press release the FNME-CGT announces the color.
While the employees of the refineries put the automobile France dry, those of the plants wave the red flag for the reactivation of the plants. A highly flammable item.
Delays in network connections
The pressure medium is considerable: with the arrival of winter, these strikes threaten EDF’s plan to restart the nuclear power plants under maintenance. Of the 25 nuclear reactors still at a standstill this Monday morning, 15 are for inspection or repair of welds affected by corrosion.
Because the workers on strike are not those of the plants in operation, nor are they the most numerous in the plants, but rather they are part of the “crucial teams for the proper progress of the maintenance work of the reactors in standstill,” he says The Figaro.
Thus, in Gravelines (North), striking employees threaten to delay the connection to the network of one of the six 900 MW reactors, which will be closed this weekend for annual maintenance and must be restarted before the end of the year.
Drop in production?
The Tricastin (Drôme), Cruas (Ardèche), Bugey (Ain), Cattenom (Moselle) plants are experiencing delays in tests prior to their return to the network after planned maintenance operations or work to solve corrosion problems.
What to fear a drop in production at the worst of times? According to the secretary of the economic and social committee of FO, Franck Redondo, a delay in the connection would have no consequences for individuals, but would cause “cuts” in companies.
“The strikes may have an impact on certain maintenance work,” EDF told AFP, without being able to immediately assess whether the return-to-grid schedule for these facilities would be affected by these moves. If necessary, EDF would be obliged to communicate it.
Source: BFM TV
