The government, which had called for an unblocking “ without delay of fuel depots, threatening to to intervene begins to carry out his threat. In an attempt to unblock the situation, while the strikers have renewed the movement, both at TotalEnergies and at Esso-ExxonMobil and that nearly a third of the country’s service stations are facing fuel shortages, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced on Tuesday to requisition “ personnel essential to the operation of the depots” fuels from Esso-Exxonmobil.
This group has three depots in France, in Toulouse, Fos-sur-Mer (Bouches-du-Rhône) and Notre-Dame-de-Gravenchon (Seine-Maritime). The last two are near the company’s two French refineries, which are on strike.
« 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 Elisabeth Borne during questions to the government.
The government threatens to do the same to “unblock the situation” at TotalEnergies
The head of government urged the management and unions of TotalEnergies to engage in wage negotiations, threatening otherwise to do the same for “ 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 Elisabeth Borne. ” Otherwise, the government will act, again, to unblock the situation “, she added.
Despite everything, the strikes continue. On the side of TotalEnergies, the movement extends this Tuesday evening to the Donges refinery, in the west, according to a CGT union representative.
Later in the evening, the management announced that it would invite the representative unions which “do not participate in the strike movement” to a meeting of “consultations and exchanges” on Wednesday afternoon.
“If the CGT lifts all the blockages of sites before noon tomorrow, it will be welcome at this dialogue meeting”, specifies the French energy giant in a press release.
In the morning, several members of the government had hinted that the executive could make requisitions to unblock the situation. The spokesperson for the executive, Olivier Véran, had thus called on RTL, for the lifting of ” without delay “ blockages of fuel depots, threatening to ” to intervene “ to unlock them. ” We are doing everything we can to put an end to this situation.”. On RMC, Transport Minister Clément Beaune had made no secret that the government was planning to requisition striking employees: “There are no taboos, all options are on the table”.
Tuesday morning, the CGT and FO of Esso-ExxonMobil decided to renew the strike which affects the two French refineries. However, a majority agreement has been signed on wages by other unions, which the CGT and FO have chosen to reject. “The movement was renewed this morning at 6 a.m., because it does not correspond to the demands of the striking employees who are asking for purchasing power”said the CGT central union representative Christophe Aubert, according to whom the improvement of the proposal formulated by the management consists essentially of a bonus.
On the side of TotalEnergies, the strikers also announced the renewal of the strike movement for wages at the call of the CGT, despite growing pressure from the government, told AFP Eric Sellini, CGT coordinator for the group. . « This morning, the employees voted again by a large majority for the continuation of the strike, we are still awaiting details in terms of negotiations by management. “, he explained.
Warnings
Monday, an emergency meeting, convened by the Prime Minister, was held in Matignon. Elisabeth Borne gathered the ministers affected by the fuel supply difficulties, namely those of Interior, Gérald Darmanin, Energy Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, and Transport, Clément Beaune, as well as Olivier Véran. « The government can’t let the country be locked down “, commented at the end of the entourage of the head of government: ” It will continue to take measures to facilitate the supply of stations as it has been doing for several days. “, but iteveryone must take responsibility. The government will take its own “. And to insist: A wage disagreement does not justify blocking the country. To refuse to discuss is to make the French the victims of a lack of dialogue. “Emmanuel Macron himself on Monday called on the management of the oil groups and the unions to “ the responsibility ».
Monday, the strike had already been extended until Tuesday despite the proposals both from the unions and from the management of TotalEnergies. In an open letter to CEO Patrick Pouyanné, the CGT had agreed to set aside its demands in terms of hiring and investment to open negotiations solely on wages. To which the group had responded by proposing to bring forward its annual wage negotiations to October, provided that the groves end in refineries and fuel depots. An offer refused by the CGT which voted to continue the movement.
“2.27 euros per liter of diesel”
Beyond the lack of fuel, the open service stations have significantly increased their prices, to the chagrin of customers like Daniel who criss-crossed the Val d’Oise before finding fuel at the BP station in Deuil-la-Barre: ” 2.27 euros per liter of diesel: I’ve never queued so much, and I’ve never been so happy to be tricked “, he told AFP.
The fear of lack feeds scarcity: “ Before, we didn’t care, now, as soon as we miss 12 liters, we fill up “, explains Thierry, a 50-year-old Parisian. ” I say it again to the French: do not make precautionary stocks because it aggravates the situation “, hammered Agnès Pannier-Runacher, Minister of Energy Transition, deploring a” overconsumption at service stations. Since Monday evening, prefectural orders in the Var, Vaucluse and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence have limited the sale of fuel to individuals to 30 liters.
The management of TotalEnergies could open up to dialogue
According to a participant in the meeting at Matignon on Monday evening, the scenario favored by the government was that the negotiations initiated at Esso-ExxonMobil encourage TotalEnergies to go in turn towards discussions, by seizing the pole extended by the union calls to negotiate. The blockages could then cease.
While waiting for an upturn, the government has released strategic fuel stocks, and TotalEnergies is importing fuel to compensate for the shutdown of two of its three refineries. These measures, according to the government, have made it possible to increase deliveries in areas in great difficulty: +50% in Ile-de-France, +35% in Hauts de France ».
CGT promises financial aid to strikers
On Monday, the CGT also put pressure on the Prime Minister ” so that open immediately, in refineries as in all branches » negotiations. The national secretary of the CGT, Philippe Martinez, had called Elisabeth Borne on Friday, “ to offer him a way out of the crisis by negotiating in the branch”.
He did not have “News from and promised the strikers financial aid through his “ solidarity fund for struggles “. And the CGT to emphasize that ” the strike is never decided for pleasure but remains the only tool available to employees when the employers refuse any negotiation » ; and that he is “ unacceptable that elected officials and other personalities call into question this constitutional right, by calling for the strike to be broken by rotting and including by the use of force ».
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ZOOM – The CGT will not participate in the ” big march against high cost of living and climate inaction »
The CGT will not participate in the “great march against the high cost of living and climate inaction”, on Sunday October 16, initiated by LFI, the PS, EELV, and other organizations. ” We have decided not to participate “said Philippe Martinez, national secretary, on LCI. ” We want clear watchwords “, he argued in reference to those put forward for the mobilization of October 16. ” We need more offensive slogans. We talk about salary increasess ».
The CGT leader had, on several occasions, displayed his reservations about such an initiative, while the central union has notably planned since the summer a day of interprofessional strike, on September 29. La France insoumise, the PS, EELV and other left-wing organizations have called for a ” big march against high cost of living and climate inaction after intense negotiations which did not win over most of the unions and the Communists.
(With AFP)