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 release strategic state stocks.
If the Prime Minister made an announcement to this effect on Tuesday concerning Esso, the CGT, on Tuesday, is expanding its movement to a new refinery.
Le Figaro
takes stock of the latest information related to the fuel shortage.
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 service stations in the Ile-de-France region out of at least one product jumped to 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.
The improvement is confirmed however in Hauts-de-France, where 45% of service stations lack at least one product at 6 p.m., against 48.4% a day earlier.
"
The government's efforts are working, but in an unbalanced way depending on the territory
", we conclude 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 Center-Val-de-Loire region, still little affected yesterday 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"
, we regret at the Ministry of Energy Transition.
Elisabeth Borne chooses the strong way in the face of the fuel crisis
Elisabeth Borne announced on Tuesday the requisition of personnel for the release of the fuel depots of the Esso-Exxonmobil group, where a wage agreement had been concluded on Monday by two trade union organizations, the majority at the group level but not 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 if not to do the same to
"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
The CGT extends the strike at the TotalEnergies refinery in Donges
The strike for wages will extend from Wednesday morning at 5 a.m. at the Donges refinery, near Saint-Nazaire, in Loire-Atlantique.
The CGT and FO renewed the strike on Tuesday morning affecting the two French refineries of the Esso-ExxonMobil group, despite the signing of a majority agreement on wages by other unions, which they for their part rejected, indicated the CGT.
Esso was pleased to sign an agreement with two organizations.
He proposed a 6.5% increase and a value-sharing bonus of €3,000 excluding participation and profit-sharing and announced that "
two majority trade unions, the CFE-CGC and the CFDT, are signatories to the agreement salary offered by management
.
TotalEnergies also announced Tuesday evening to invite the representative unions which
“do not participate in the strike movement” which paralyzes its refineries and its fuel depots to a meeting of “consultations and exchanges”
on 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.
Read alsoFuels: the CGT extends the strike at the TotalEnergies refinery in Donges
Risk of ruptures on food products
An association bringing together 120 refrigerated transport companies warned on Tuesday against
“cuts on food products for the French”
if the fuel shortages due to the strikes persisted.
"The oil refinery blockages underway on national territory are confronting companies that transport perishable foodstuffs (...) with growing difficulties
," said the association "
La Chaîne Logistique du Cold
" in a press release.
According to this association, which claims to federate 120 companies totaling 50,000 employees and nearly 100,000 refrigerated trucks,
“among transporters who have tanks, the available reserves are in some cases less than a week
” while
“other transporters are dependent on stocks available at service stations
.
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 sanctioned for his absence”
explains Me Muriel Pariente , associate attorney 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?