- The French Government has forced essential workers to restart their activities to alleviate the situation.
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| A closed gas station in Nice, France. |
Fuel shortages closed gas stations, and long queues to refuel: France collapses due to refinery strike
Long lines at gas stations in France have already become a repeated image in recent weeks. The reason is the lack of fuel caused by strikes at refineries across the country.
The instability in the price of gasoline and diesel has caused Europe to pay for the most expensive fuels. The barrel of Brent has reached 95.74 dollars in a week. In addition, we must add the production cuts announced by OPEC and its allies, among which Russia stands out.
The consequences of these constant rises and falls in prices have particularly affected France, which has been involved in a strike at national refineries. This situation is leaving fuel shortages in various regions of the country.
Why is there a strike?
Strikes at the two refineries operating in France began in late September. ExxonMobil did it on the 20th and TotalEnergies a week later.
The reason for these stoppages in activity is that the workers are asking for a 12.6% wage increase. This increase is due to the increase in the cost of living and inflation. It is also caused by the profits obtained by the oil companies in the last year: in the case of TotalEnergies, they doubled and reached 5,700 million euros, according to CincoDías. The workers request that part of the profits they have had as a result of the crisis arising from the war in Ukraine be distributed.
On October 3, a salary agreement was reached that granted a 4% increase, as explained by the CGT. However, this has failed to end the strike.
How do these stoppages affect France?
These two weeks of strike have caused many gas stations in the country to have fuel shortages. In those that there is still some fuel left, queues are generated, which usually last between one and four hours. Those that have been declared out of supply have been forced to temporarily close.
According to data from the French Executive, and collected by Efe, around 30% of gas stations in the country no longer have fuel. The most affected areas are the Hauts de France with 44.8% of gas stations out of supply and Paris with 44%.
The situation is critical throughout the country, which is why many regions have chosen to introduce rationing and limit the amount of gasoline to 30 liters per vehicle or 120 liters for those over 3.5 tons.
What measures has the government taken?
The French Government has tried to curb the consequences of these stoppages. That is why it has pressed to formalize an imminent agreement and has launched an exceptional measure: it has forced the activation of minimum services.
The first to be affected by this recruitment of workers has been the ExxonMobil refinery in Normandy, but the Government has assured that it will do so with others if the situation continues.
As announced by the Ministry of Energy Transition and reported by Cadena Ser, the four employees who have to take up their posts have already been notified. "I asked the prefects to start the procedure for requisitioning the essential personnel for the operation of this company's warehouses," announced the Prime Minister, Élisabeth Borne, during the question session with the government in the National Assembly on Tuesday.
What he wants is for a group of essential workers to restart their activity to contribute to the supply of the Altos de Francia region, which is fed by its supply from that deposit.
This measure has provoked the anger of the strikers, who have responded by tightening the blockade of fuel tanks.
The CGT has denounced the threat of criminal sanctions by the Government to employees who do not want to return to their jobs and has recalled that in the 2010 strikes the French Executive tried to force the workers and the International Labor Organization ( ILO) prevented it.
Given the situation, France has released fuel energy reserves as a last measure to alleviate the shortage. It has also allowed tankers to make deliveries on Sundays.
The position of the Macron Executive
The President of the French Government, Emmanuel Macron, has not made a statement about the strike, but his ministers have positioned themselves on the matter.
Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Economy and Finance, assured this Tuesday that "this situation has lasted too long" and "the blockade of the country is unacceptable." In addition, he recalled that citizens "do not have to be victims" of the situation.
"A wage disagreement cannot paralyze the entire country," said the prime minister. "Social dialogue means moving forward once a majority has emerged," added Borne.
How does it affect other sectors of the country?
The strike has directly affected many sectors. Some school buses have stopped making routes due to lack of fuel. The same has happened with non-urgent transport ambulances and driving schools that have suspended practical classes.
Taxi drivers have requested preference when it comes to refueling in order to continue working, but they have not received a response to the request. This has forced many to park their vehicles and temporarily stop their work.
Complications are being seen in the world of sports. Some motorcycle competitions have been banned and there are football matches of different categories that have been postponed indefinitely.
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