The movement was renewed early Thursday morning at the Gonfreville refinery (Seine-Maritime) and at the Feyzin depot (Rhône), but it “is suspended everywhere else”, told AFP Eric Sellini, national coordinator of the CGT. for TotalEnergies.
Employees must decide again at midday on whether or not to renew the movement.
After three weeks of blockages, the employees of the “Flandres” site in Mardyck, near Dunkirk, and La Mède in the Bouches-du-Rhône decided on Wednesday evening to return to work when the night teams were to take their shift. .
The end of the strike had been voted earlier in the day at the Donges refinery (Loire-Atlantique).
The mobilization initiated by the CGT on September 27 caused major fuel supply difficulties, exasperating individuals and professionals struggling to fill their tanks.
Pressure has mounted on the government as schools close on Friday evening for a two-week holiday.
“The situation continues to improve markedly,” said Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on Wednesday.
“I know that the situation is still difficult for many of our compatriots, but the momentum is there and I want to once again call on the striking employees to return to work,” she added.
At 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, one in five service stations (20.3%) were experiencing supply difficulties on at least one fuel (compared to 24.8% on Tuesday), with situations still tense in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (33, 1%), Ile-de-France (30.5%) and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (29.4%), according to the latest figures Wednesday from the Ministry of Energy Transition.
According to the Vinci Autoroutes group, at least 90% of the service stations in its network were able to supply fuel: “Continuity of service at the 181 service areas in the Vinci Autoroutes network is 90% guaranteed on average in for unleaded gasoline, and 92% on average for diesel.”
– “Sensitive improvements” –
Pressed to speed up deliveries to the stations, the government once again requisitioned employees to work on the Feyzin site on Wednesday.
“The release of the Feyzin depot allows significant improvements,” assured the Prime Minister.
On this site, there were Thursday morning “90% of strikers” according to the CGT union representative Pedro Afonso, who denounces “visits by the police” until 11:30 p.m. Wednesday evening, to inform employees that they were requisitioned the next day at 4 a.m.
The CGT is at the origin of the movement to demand wage increases, against a backdrop of high inflation and super profits made by TotalEnergies, with soaring prices linked in particular to the war in Ukraine.
The union told AFP that it had unsuccessfully proposed an “end-of-conflict exit protocol” to the group’s management on Wednesday, including “local negotiations on the specific issues raised by the strikers”.
For its part, TotalEnergies argued that there was no need to reopen negotiations, an agreement having been concluded on Friday with the two majority unions of the group, the CFE-CGC and the CFDT. A text that the CGT has not signed.
The agreement provides for a general increase of 5% in wages, accompanied by individual increases and an exceptional bonus of between 3,000 and 6,000 euros. The CGT demanded a 10% wage increase.
A movement had also taken place at Esso-ExxonMobil, before being lifted last week after the conclusion of a wage agreement.
