Paris has demanded that unions unblock refineries and fuel depots without delay
Drivers wait in queue to refuel their cars in Goussainville, France, October 10, 2022. © Getty Images / Esra Taskin/Anadolu Agency
The French authorities warned on Tuesday that they will be forced to intervene if energy industry workers do not end their strikes “without delay.”
“The strike has stretched for too long and has consequences. There are still territories in France where gas stations operate normally, but fuel demand is high and it creates a problem…
I completely side with our residents and motorists and I tell them this: The government is calling for all the blockages to be lifted without delay, otherwise we will be forced to intervene – in other words, to end the strikes ourselves,” French government spokesman Olivier Veran said on RTL radio.
Veran added that if the situation does not improve “very quickly,” the government will step in to “reopen access to fuel depots and refineries, and then requisition the appropriate personnel” to resume operations.
Workers from TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil’s Esso France have been striking for over two weeks, demanding a pay raise amid the cost-of-living crisis, and a greater share of the robust profits both companies have made this year due to soaring energy prices.
The blockades at refineries and fuel storage depots have resulted in shortages of fuel across the country. Around 30% of gas stations reported shortages of at least one type of fuel over the weekend, while media reports have shown long lines of cars forming at the sites as people panicked and flocked to fill up their tanks.
According to Veran, Esso France protesters no longer have “any reason” to strike, because the unions and the company’s management came to an agreement during wage talks on Monday.
TotalEnergies management made a proposal on Sunday to move up wage talks initially scheduled for mid-November. But the CGT union, which its workers belong to, has called for continued strikes until wage demands are met. Veran called this “excessive and abnormal.”
He estimated that once the refineries and storage depots resume operations, the regions most affected by fuel shortages will be able to return to “normal functioning” within 15 days.
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