Fuel shortage: strike renewed on total sites until at least noon on Wednesday noon

“We will see what it will be for the rest, during the general meetings” of employees on Wednesday, said the CGT coordinator at the national level.

Le Monde with AFP

The CGT representatives of the Totalenergies on strike petroleum sites for three weeks, decided, Tuesday evening, the renewal of the movement until Wednesday in mid-day, in the refineries and deposits of the group currently stopped to obtain wage increases.

“The conflict will continue at least until Wednesday noon, and we will see what it will be for the continuation, during the general meetings” of employees on Wednesday, told the France agency Tuesday evening -Presse (AFP), Eric Sellini, CGT coordinator at the national level.

Furthermore, following the day of mobilization and strikes, Tuesday, throughout France, “there will also be meetings of all the CGT organizations which will decide if this day calls others” , he added. “Beyond the refiners and 14,000 Totalnergies employees, we also carry the voice of those who suffer from the fact that wages do not follow inflation, and who see winter arriving with promises of rise on prices energy or food, “he added. “It is at the national level that this question must be dealt with, because we are in a very special situation,” added the manager.

four refineries on the national level

The strike movement at the CGT call in refineries and deposits concerned, Tuesday evening, the Totalenergies refineries of Gonfreville-l’Orcher, (Normandy), Donges (Loire-Atlantique) and La Mède (Bouches- Du-Rhône), and the deposits of Feyzin (Rhône) whose refinery is closed for technical reasons, and Flanders (North), said Mr. Sellini.

The CGT did not sign the wage agreement last Friday between management and two majority unions (CFE-CGC and CFDT), providing for a general increase of 5 % of wages, with individual increases and D ‘An exceptional premium between 3,000 and 6,000 euros. The CGT demanded 10 % increase to compensate for the inflation planned this year and take advantage of the exceptional income garnered by the petroleum group in 2021.

On the total of French infrastructure, four out of seven refineries were concerned, for their refining and/or deposit operations. The three other refineries in the country, operated by Esso-Exxonmobil and the Petroineos group, work. Deposits not linked to refineries, such as that of largepuits being transformed into bioraffinery, were also on strike.

“Sensitive improvement” in stations, according to Elisabeth Borne

According to Totalenergies, the sites affected by the strike has just over 3,400 people on permanent contracts. The company estimates that around 90 employees the number of strikers present on these sites at time T. Employees are actually running by teams and quarters. For the Feyzin site alone, the CGT claims a hundred strikers, according to its local representative, Pedro Afonso, for whom “determination is intact”.

Unlike Monday, no requisition was made on Tuesday to force the resumption of work in refineries and fuel deposits on strike, according to the Ministry of Energy Transition. Prime Minister Elisabet Borne, in the day, reported on the day “sensitive improvement” in service stations, including less than a quarter – instead of a third party – are deprived of fuel, due to strike movement.

/Media reports.