The strikers do not give in. The strike movement affecting most refineries in mainland France was renewed on Tuesday, October 11, at TotalEnergies and Esso-ExxonMobil, despite the government’s call to suspend the conflict. “without delay”. The metropolitan territory has seven refineries, of which only one is currently spared by the strike.
In response to the continuation of the strike, Elisabeth Borne announced, during questions to the government in the National Assembly, that she had asked the prefects to initiate the “procedure for requisitioning the personnel essential to the operation of the depots” at Esso-ExxonMobil, where a wage agreement was reached on Monday by two labor organizations, majority at group level but not in its refineries.
Six refineries affected by the strike
Gonfreville-L’Orcher (Seine-Maritime). It is the largest refinery in France. Near Le Havre, this site called “Normandie” is the first of the TotalEnergies group to have been shut down, from September 28. The company then invoked “security reasons” related to the strike started the day before. Since, “there is no more product manufactured (…) out of the refinery and the pipeline that supplies Paris is also stopped”, reported the CGT, Thursday. On Saturday, the union reported “from 70% to 90% of the teams” striking. The continuation of the movement was voted on again on Tuesday.
Feyzin (Rhone). The TotalEnergies refinery in Feyzin was shut down on Tuesday due to a technical accident, according to the company. Since the beginning of the movement, the site’s activity has slowed down, especially in the strategic service of fuel shipments which counted “100% strikers” Saturday morning, according to the CGT. “Usually, there are 250 to 300 trucks a day and between 30 and 50 wagons, there is nothing that will come out”then explained the CGT.
Chateauneuf-les-Martigues (Bouches-du-Rhone). Nearly 200 demonstrators took part in a rally on Tuesday in front of the TotalEnergies bio-refinery in La Mède, where the movement was renewed. Whether by truck, train or boat, no fuel has left the site since the end of September. Nearly half of the site’s 250 employees normally work there in the production sector, now shut down, reports The world.
Fos-sur-Mer (Bouches-du-Rhone). The strike at the Esso-ExxonMobil refinery in Fos-sur-Mer was renewed on Tuesday at the call of FO and the CGT, despite the signing of a salary agreement by the CFDT and the CFE- CGC (majority group-wide, but not within refineries). The mobilization began there on September 21, with rates of strikers “never seen” the first days among the 300 employees of the site: “100% of shift staff, 50% of maintenance, inspection and administration staff”, according to the CGT. Since then, the refinery has been shut down.
Port-Jerome-sur-Seine (Seine-Maritime). Located in the former commune of Notre-Dame-de-Gravenchon, this Esso-ExxonMobil platform has been disrupted by a strike since the beginning of the movement. “The platform completely stopped for 3 weeks, we have never seen that in society”underlines the local branch of FO, which judges the proposals of the management “insufficient” to cover inflation. As on all the sites affected, the movement is not unanimous. On Monday, non-striking employees, including many executives, demonstrated in front of the refinery to demand “that the installations restart”according to management. “I fear for the future of the site”said one participant.
Donges (Loire-Atlantique). Located at the mouth of the Loire, near the port of Saint-Nazaire, the TotalEnergies refinery in Donges was briefly affected at the end of September by the strike movement. “The platform is running at a minimum, there are no shipments or receipts of products”, reported the CGT, on September 28. Since then, the movement had been lifted and the site was functioning normally. ocean press revealed on Tuesday that the refinery finally entered the strike from Wednesday, 5 a.m., information confirmed by France Bleu Loire ocean. “No drop of product will leave the site from tomorrow”assured the Nantes newspaper Fabien Privé Saint-Lanne, secretary of the CGT of this refinery. The CGT is less dominant there than elsewhere, with 42% of the votes in the last professional elections, against a breakthrough of the CFDT at 34%, according to The echoes.
A refinery in normal operation
Lavera (Bouches-du-Rhône). About thirty kilometers from Marseille, the Petroineos refinery in Lavéra experienced no disruption in this lively social return. For a good reason: the management has conceded salary increases and travel bonuses, according to the site Relations de force. “The results are so good at the moment that it was quite normal”confirms the local CGT, which does not plan to join the strike movement of TotalEnergies and Esso-ExxonMobil.