Twenty-four hours before the start of the All Saints holidays, the breathlessness of the mobilization in the refineries and oil depots continues, Thursday, October 20 in the morning, with only two sites of TotalEnergies on strike, including only one of the four refineries until mobilized here. However, the fuel supply remains difficult.
The social movement led by the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) was renewed on Thursday morning at the Gonfreville-l’Orcher refinery (Seine-Maritime) and at the Feyzin depot (Rhône), but it “is suspended everywhere else” since Wednesday evening, confirmed to Agence France-Presse Eric Sellini, national coordinator of the CGT for TotalEnergies. The mobilized employees must decide again at midday on the continuation of the movement.
Launched by the CGT on September 27, the strike in the oil sector has caused major fuel supply difficulties. The pressure on the government has increased, as schools close on Friday evening for a two-week holiday.
“The situation continues to improve markedlyhad underlined the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, on Wednesday. I know that the situation is still difficult for many of our compatriots, but the momentum is there and I want to once again call on the striking employees to return to work. »
One in five service stations are experiencing supply difficulties
After three weeks of blockage, the employees of the Flanders site, in Mardyck, on the outskirts of Dunkirk (North), and La Mède (Bouches-du-Rhône) decided, Wednesday evening, to end the strike, when the night shifts had to take up their post. The end of the strike had been voted earlier in the day at the Donges refinery (Loire-Atlantique).
At 1 p.m. on Wednesday, one in five service stations (20.3%) were still experiencing supply difficulties for at least one fuel (compared to 24.8% on Tuesday), with tense situations in certain regions, particularly in Burgundy. -Franche-Comté (33.1%), in Ile-de-France (30.5%) and in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (29.4%), according to the latest figures provided by the Ministry of Energy Transition, Wednesday.
According to the Vinci Autoroutes group, at least 90% of the service stations in its network were able to supply fuel: “Continuity of service at the 181 service areas in the Vinci Autoroutes network is 90% guaranteed on average for unleaded petrol and 92% on average for diesel. »
“90% strikers” Thursday morning at the Feyzin depot
Pressed to speed up deliveries to the stations, the government once again requisitioned employees to work on the Feyzin site on Wednesday. “The unlocking of the Feyzin depot allows significant improvements”assured the Prime Minister.
Thursday morning, we were counting on this site “90% strikers”according to CGT union representative Pedro Afonso, who also denounced to AFP “police visits” until 11:30 p.m. Wednesday evening to inform employees that they were requisitioned the next day at 4 a.m.
The CGT is at the origin of the movement to demand wage increases, against a backdrop of high inflation and superprofits made by TotalEnergies, due to the surge in prices linked in particular to the war in Ukraine.
The trade union organization proposed, on Wednesday, a “end of conflict exit protocol” to the management of the group, providing in particular “local negotiations on the specific issues raised by the strikers”. TotalEnergies argued that there was no need to reopen negotiations, an agreement having been reached last Friday with the two majority unions of the group, the French Confederation of Management – General Confederation of Managers (CFE-CGC) and the French Democratic Confederation of Labor (CFDT). The social movement also ended at Esso-ExxonMobil last week, after the conclusion of a wage agreement.