“It’s going to get tough! » At a time when the adoption of the very inflammable pension reform took place on Monday evening March 20, Eric Sellini’s threat was clear: “And if there are requisitions, we will see what the reactions will be. But if the government wants to continue to do 49.3 anti-strike, I do not advise it., insisted the CGT coordinator at TotalEnergies. However, the executive’s response was quick. After several days of blocking of refineries, while the consequences are already being felt at the pump, the police intervened on the night of Monday March 20 to Tuesday March 21, to unblock the Donges oil terminal. (Loire-Atlantique) which had been occupied for a week by strikers.
On Tuesday morning, the Ministry of Energy Transition announced the requisition of “three employees per shift” at the Fos-sur-Mer oil depot “Faced with the worsening supply tensions in the Bouches-du-Rhône”. “The requisition is valid for forty-eight hours as needed, starting March 21” and concerns “staff essential to the operation of the depot” which supplies the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) region and the east of the Occitanie region with fuel, he said in a press release.
In the PACA region, on Monday, 50% of the stations actually lacked one or more fuels. Obliging the prefecture of Vaucluse and that of neighboring Gard, to deal with it, to limit sales, until Thursday March 23 inclusive, and this, in order to avoid phenomena “preventive purchases detrimental to proper functioning” of these stations. Light vehicles (less than 3.5 tonnes) are thus limited to 30 litres; those of goods between 3.5 tons and 12 tons to 120 liters and those of transport of goods of more than 12 tons to 200 liters. It is also forbidden to fill jerry cans.
Among the most affected are also several departments in the West, such as Loire-Atlantique (29% of stations in difficulty), where the Donges refinery has ceased its fuel shipments since March 7.
7% of service stations in difficulty
But, in this period of arm wrestling, everyone takes care of their communication, and the battle of figures is raging. “There will only be a shortage if people keep rushing to stock up”insists for example Olivier Gantois, president of the French Union of Petroleum Industries (UFIP). “If customers panic, logistics will fail and we will be out of supply”, he warns, believing that the crisis can only be explained by precautionary acts on the part of consumers. Moreover, according to UFIP, of the 11,039 service stations in France, only 7% were in difficulty on Monday morning – they lacked one or more fuels –, against 4% before the weekend. end. Just as, on the 200 deposits, only 5 to 8, Monday, would have been the subject of blocking.
You have 44.26% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.