UPDATE ON THE SITUATION – Extension of the strike, requisitioning of personnel, risk of shortages of food products: Le Figaro takes stock of the tensions over the supply of gasoline that have affected the country for the past few days.
The strike led by the CGT is not weakening. As more and more French people find themselves faced with long queues at the entrance to service stations, the government is brandishing the threat of requisitioning personnel to allow the refineries concerned by the blockages to be unblocked. If the Prime Minister made an announcement to this effect on Tuesday concerning Esso, the CGT, on Tuesday, extended its movement to a new site. Le Figaro provides an update on the latest information related to the fuel shortage.
The CGT extends the strike at the TotalEnergies refinery in Donges and remains mobilized, blockage renewed Wednesday in Port-Jérôme
Early Wednesday morning, the CGT announced that the strike was renewed on all the sites mobilized at TotalEnergies. The management had however announced Tuesday evening invite the representative trade unions which “do not participate in the strike movement” at a meeting of “consultations and exchanges” Wednesday afternoon. “If the CGT lifts all site blockages before noon tomorrow, it will be welcome at this dialogue meeting”, said the French energy giant in a press release. The mobilization of the union will also extend from this Wednesday to the Donges refinery, near Saint-Nazaire, in Loire-Atlantique.
For its part, on Tuesday, Esso was delighted with the signing of an agreement with two organizations. The group proposed a salary increase of 6.5% and a value-sharing bonus of 3,000 euros excluding participation and profit-sharing. “Two majority trade unions, the CFE-CGC and the CFDT, are signatories to the salary agreement proposed by management“, he welcomed. However, early Wednesday morning, AFP noted that strikers had voted to renew the strike on the site of the Esso-ExxonMobil refinery in Port-Jérôme-sur-Seine, between Rouen and Le Havre.
The shortage worsens in the Paris region, slight improvement in Hauts-de-France
The fuel shortage is worsening in Île-de-France. After an improvement noted on Monday, the number of Ile-de-France service stations out of at least one product jumped up at 44% this Tuesday at 6 p.m., according to figures communicated by the Ministry of Energy Transition. An increase of more than 10 points in 24 hours. improvement was however confirmed in Hauts-de-France, where 45% of service stations lack at least one product at 6 p.m., compared to 48.4% a day earlier. “Government efforts are working, but in an unbalanced way depending on the territories», did we notice at the Ministry of Energy Transition.
Beyond these two regions particularly affected since the start of the strikes in the country’s refineries, others are beginning to show a significant lack of fuel. Like the Centre-Val-de-Loire region, still little affected on Monday and now at 45% of service stations in shortage of at least one product. “We are still observing phenomena of overconsumption which can go up to 50% compared to normal”, did we regret at the Ministry of Energy Transition.
SEE ALSO – Fuels: “We expected the government to react“, explains a trade unionist
Elisabeth Borne chooses the strong way in the face of the fuel crisis
Elisabeth Borne announced on Tuesday the requisition of personnel for the unblocking of the fuel depots of the Esso-Exxonmobil group, where the signatory unions of the agreement are in the majority at group level but not from its refineries. “Social dialogue means moving forward once a majority has emerged. These are not minimum agreements. Management announcements are significant. Therefore, I asked the prefects to initiate, as permitted by law, the procedure for requisitioning the personnel essential to the operation of the depots of this company.said the Prime Minister during questions to the government.
Commenting on the situation in the other oil group affected by strike movements, TotalEnergies, the head of government urged management and unions to engage in wage negotiations, threatening otherwise to do the same for “unblock the situation“. “At Total, the reformist unions called for the opening of negotiations. Management responded positively. I hope that the other representative unions will seize this outstretched hand, because social dialogue is always more fruitful than conflict.said the head of government.
Read alsoFuel shortage: behind the CGT’s die-hard strategy, internal quarrels
Risk of ruptures on food products
An association bringing together 120 refrigerated transport companies, “The cold supply chain»warned on Tuesday against “breaks in food products for the French” if fuel shortages due to strikes continue. “The blockages of oil refineries in progress on the national territory confront companies that transport perishable goods (…) with growing difficulties”the association said in a statement.
According to this association, which claims to federate 120 companies totaling 50,000 employees and nearly 100,000 refrigerated trucks, “At carriers that have tanks, the available reserves are in some cases less than a week” while “the other carriers are dependent on the stocks available at the service station“.
Read alsoFuels: risk of ruptures on food products
Can we not go to work because of fuel shortages?
If no solution is possible, can employees simply stay at home, claiming force majeure? “Even if petrol cannot be found and the workplace is only accessible to him by car, the employee cannot invoke a case of force majeure to avoid being penalized for his absence” explains Me Muriel Pariente, associate lawyer at Ashurst. To fall under force majeure, an event must indeed be externally irresistible, and above all unpredictable.
Read alsoCan we not go to work because of fuel shortages?