In the morning, Friday, October 21, many holidaymakers were queuing in front of service stations, still affected, on the eve of the All Saints’ Day holidays, by shortages linked to the strike on TotalEnergies oil sites.
Service stations are facing major supply difficulties due to the strike movement launched on September 27 in the refineries and depots of the oil group TotalEnergies – employees are demanding a salary increase in the face of inflation and profits giants garnered by society.
In a interview at Release, published Thursday evening, the Prime Minister assured that “the French can leave confident” on vacation, with “a return to normal in the coming days”. “The situation has improved significantly since the beginning of the week”continued Elisabeth Borne.
The government promised on Friday that “the busiest gas stations in the context of departures on vacation ser[aie]nt served as a priority ». He also called for an end “prefectural ration orders” and mobilized “tank trucks of the operational energy service of the Ministry of the Armed Forces” in areas where the tension is greatest, he said in a statement.
Two TotalEnergies sites still on strike
The employees of only two sites of TotalEnergies are still on strike, including only one of the four refineries mobilized so far. In Gonfreville-l’Orcher, in Normandy, “the strike is extended until October 27”the day on which TotalEnergies is due to announce its third quarter results, “unless the management contacts us first”, announced Ludovic Desplanches, elected CGT. The movement was also renewed at the fuel depot in Feyzin (Rhône).
After a peak last week, shortages of gasoline and diesel reduced this week, while remaining unprecedented in recent history. According to Francis Pousse, national president for fuel and new energy distributors at Mobilians, an employers’ union, “Only 14% of stations are out of diesel and 5% out of unleaded. »
“Fuel distribution will be much better this weekend. We still have all day and tomorrow to continue delivering the stations. We are on a good trend so that people can go on vacation. Priority is given to motorway stations but also to major axes, that is to say the old national ones”assured Mr. Pousse at the microphone of Jean-Jacques Bourdin on Sud Radio Friday morning.
? Francis Pousse, President of the service station branch of the Mobilians union “Yes, finding #petrol will be good… https://t.co/NW8WYw65Ws
According to the latest figures communicated by the government, 90% of the stations in the Vinci Autoroutes network are supplied with petrol, and 92% with diesel. “Continuity of service is 82% guaranteed for unleaded petrol, and 88% for diesel, at the 97 service areas on the APRR and AREA motorways”specify the subsidiaries of the Eiffage group.
The CGT calls for a strike on October 27 and November 10
Friday, the CGT responded to announcements of improvement in the situation made by the government by calling for two new national days of interprofessional strike on October 27 and November 10, by the voice of the confederal secretary of the union, Céline Verzeletti. A way not to release the social pressure for a general increase in wages.
This call for a new interprofessional mobilization follows the breathlessness of the strike in the refineries and depots, where the government’s repeated requisitions are pushing for the gradual cessation of the movement. Tuesday, the first day of national strike following this movement brought together, according to the unions, nearly 300,000 demonstrators in the country – 107,000 people according to the Ministry of the Interior – with strikes in particular in the oil sector, nuclear power and public transport.
According to Mme Verzeletti, this day showed that“there is a dynamic” strong social. “We don’t want to let go”affirmed the union leader, considering that the CGT is “in line with employee expectations”.