Far from slowing down, the refinery strike movement is spreading.
This Wednesday, the Donges refinery in Loire-Atlantique, hitherto spared, went on strike at the initiative of the CGT, bringing the total number of refineries blocked to six out of the seven in the country.
The Force Ouvrière (FO) union, a very small minority within the TotalEnergies group, has also announced that it is joining the CGT in the strike affecting the group, reproducing the united front already formed several days ago in the Esso refineries. ExxonMobil.
FO castigates the absence
of “a social dialogue worthy of the name”
within the French group.
However, the hydrocarbon giant dropped some ballast on Wednesday.
While the management refused to start any discussion with the CGT as long as the blockage continued, it finally agreed to meet individually with each of the unions in the group, including the CGT, on Wednesday afternoon.
An appointment accepted by the central chaired by Philippe Martinez.
Read also Fuel shortage: how long for a return to normal once the strike is over?
During this interview, the management of TotalEnergies softened its speech.
It no longer formally asks the striking union to interrupt its movement, but has made the opening of wage negotiations conditional on the resumption of fuel deliveries from refineries.
In other words, refinery distribution activities must resume, but not necessarily production activities.
The management of the French group, however, clearly indicated that the demands for salary increases made by the CGT were “too high”.
The Montreuil power plant pleads for a 10% increase in wages, which it justifies as a 7% increase to offset the effects of inflation and 3% because of the significant profits recorded by TotalEnergies in recent months.
And the CGT braces itself on its positions.
“For the moment, the indicators show us that the management is not inclined to make proposals likely to get the movement going,”
declared Thierry Defresne, recalling that
“it is the strikers who decide on the continuation of their movement".
A vote will be held on this subject in the night among the strikers of the refineries of TotalEnergies.
An inter-union meeting was also convened by the CGT early Wednesday evening to force management to open negotiations as they stand.
A national CFE-CFDT official, however, told
Le Figaro
that a common trade union front within TotalEnergies was unlikely.
Maintaining the picket line
Unlike TotalEnergies, the American major Esso-ExxonMobil began wage negotiations last Monday with the various unions.
These exchanges resulted in the signing of an agreement with the CFDT and the CGE-CGC, which account for nearly 60% of the group's union representation.
The agreement provides for a 6.5% increase in wages in 2023, an exceptional bonus of 3,000 euros and one-time transport aid of 750 euros paid in November.
This Wednesday, the management of Esso-ExxonMobil appealed
"to reason to end the blocking of sites",
recalling the signing of this national salary agreement which
"must be respected and applied as soon as possible".
In other words, there is no question of reopening negotiations for the moment.
However, the strike continues at full speed in the two refineries of Esso-ExxonMobil.
In Gravenchon-Port-Jérôme, in Seine-Maritime, where the State decided to requisition part of the staff to ensure a minimum fuel distribution service, the small number of striking employees voted unanimously to maintain from the picket line.
A delegation of elected officials from La France insoumise as well as the secretary general of the CGT Philippe Martinez flocked to the scene on Wednesday to support the movement.