“If the management refuses to come and talk, it will last for weeks”, warn strikers at the Gonfreville-l’Orcher refinery

The refinery of Gonfreville-l’Orcher, near Le Havre (Seine-Maritime), is one of the four refineries of the TotalEnergies group at a standstill ensures the CGT. It is the largest in the country and for several days, no truck enters or leaves this enclosure. A relative calm reigns around the refinery, whereas it is usually difficult to hear each other speak as the comings and goings of vehicles are incessant, explain employees.

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They met here at the beginning of the afternoon, Thursday October 6, to continue their movement, which had started nine days earlier. Among other things, they are demanding a 10% salary increase and denouncing their working conditions. “We have employees who have working conditions that are constantly deteriorating, who have serious accidents that are happening more and more on our site“, highlighted Alexis Antonioli, general secretary of the CGT at TotalEnergies. “We have this backdrop today which is that of deep dissatisfaction on which the salary part is grafted“, continues the trade unionist.

“We have a group which generates 20 billion euros in profits in six months and which is confident of ensuring that its employees maintain their standard of living by catching up with inflation in 2022.”

Alexis Antonioli, CGT general secretary

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The proof with this tent erected by the CGT where meals – “lasagna, sausages, merguez, cheese and flank” – are prepared for the employees, who organize themselves to maintain the movement. For them, this question of wages “is the straw that breaks the camel’s back“.”If we have a management that refuses to come around a table to talk about inflation, then yes, it will last for weeks“, he warns.

Mobilization is closely monitored and sometimes reaches 90% in some teams. In addition to wage increases, employees are also demanding hiring and investment. Because, according to them, there are too many temporary workers and the infrastructure has become too dilapidated. They are now waiting for a sign from management and are ready to hold on.

“The resources we have are, in particular, the solidarity fund“, advances the CGT delegate Pierre-Yves Hauguel, who highlights “financial solidarity“to keep the movement going.”We’ll see how long we’ll last, we’re ready to last a long time, we have the determination in us“, he assures. This movement, “speeches, the presence of staff” send “the right signals to say that our determination is not straw“, adds Pierre-Yves Hauguel.

For the continuation of the movement, a convergence of struggles is also envisaged, says the union. Not far away, just a few kilometers away, the ExxonMobile refinery in Port-Jérôme is also on strike.