A strike, a shortage and a lot of comments. The striking employees of TotalEnergies voted in favor of a continuation of their movement on all the sites of the oil group, Friday, October 14, even though an agreement on wage increases was signed by the two majority unions of the ‘company. The social conflict has for several days caused major disruptions in service stations whose pumps have run dry due to lack of resupply of petrol or diesel.
This crisis situation is sparking political debate and the financial question is on everyone’s lips, in the ranks of the Nupes as well as in those of the unions. Profits of the hydrocarbon giant, remuneration of its CEO, Patrick Pouyanné, salaries of employees, dividends paid to shareholders… Franceinfo has verified the main questions which are at the heart of the discussions.
Is the remuneration of a refinery operator 5,000 euros per month, as claimed by TotalEnergies? To qualify.
A battle of numbers pits the unions against the management of TotalEnergies. In a press release published on 9 October, the company unveils the emoluments of a refinery operator: 4 300 euros gross excluding profit-sharing, 5,000 euros including bonuses and profit-sharing. What to prove, according to her, her “will” that its employees receive “the just reward for their efforts on their payslip”. It’s aboutne average, which was calculated for the only “workers and supervisors”, specifies to franceinfo the oil group. This figure is strongly contested by the CGT. Fore union, wages are much lower: “2,500 euros gross at the start of his career and around 3,000 euros for an employee with twenty years of seniority.” Who is right ?
According to the Youth Information and Documentation Center (CIDJ), an association created by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, a novice refinery operator earns between 1,600 euros and 1,800 euros net per month, up to more than 3,500 euros at the end of his career.
Asked by The worldI’French Union of Petroleum Industries-Energies and Mobility (Ufipem) announces a monthly salary for a beginner operator of 2,200 euros gross per month, with a shift bonus (compensation paid for work in staggered hours) of 540 euros , i.e. a total monthly remuneration of 2,740 euros gross. With twenty years of seniority, an experienced employee receives a monthly salary of 3,600 euros gross as well as nearly 1,200 euros gross in seniority and shift bonuses. Or 4,800 euros gross monthly.
What to conclude? Analyzing remuneration conditions solely by studying the average salary, as Total does in its press release, means not considering the existence of significant salary differences between employees, an experienced employee being able, for example, to receive an amount of premiums more than twice as high as a novice trader.
For their part, the unions tend not to take into account in their declarations the profit-sharing and participation, which amounted for a refinery operator in 2022 to “9,108 euros” on average, with a “minimum amount of 7,250 euros and maximum of 12,000 euros”, confirms TotalEnergies to franceinfo. “The basic salary is not the only element of the recurring remuneration of an operator who works in a refinery, insists the company. To this should be added bonuses and profit-sharing.”
Does a gas station attendant at TotalEnergies earn less than the minimum wage, as Fabien Roussel has argued? No.
“Operation truth on salaries at Total. (…) Je reveals the real salaries at Total, pay slips in support. Some start below the minimum wage while the boss increases by 52%”, loose Fabien Roussel, the national secretary of the French Communist Party, on Twitter October 12. In the debate over salaries within the oil company, the ex-communist presidential candidate claims that some employees of the oil company are paid below the minimum wage.
Contacted by Releasethe leader of the communists specifies that he was referring to the wages practiced at Argedis, a subsidiary of TotalEnergies which manages service stations. “Argedis is certainly the sector of the Total group where employees are the least paid”judge with franceinfo Bruno GuittatCFDT coordinator of the subsidiary. However, assures the trade unionist, “no employee is paid below the minimum wage”.
The national collective agreement for the services of theautomotive (PDF) which defines the remuneration grid for employees in service station, specifies that the gross minimum wage for the profession amounts to 1,678.95 euros. Either the minimum wage. “Salaries at Argelis are close to the minimum wage, but remain higher”confirms Bruno Guittat. A pump attendant can indeed benefit from bonuses, “for holidays or ‘laundry’ to clean his clothes and a 13th month”, lists the union coordinator. In total, these bonuses can represent approximately “20%” of the annual salary.
Did the shareholders of TotalEnergies receive 2.6 billion in dividends in September, as noted by Alexis Corbière? Yes.
“Total will pay 2.62 billion euros in dividends to its shareholders. This group took advantage of the crisis, stuffed its shareholders without paying anything back to its employees”, deplore the deputy La France insoumise Alexis Corbiere, October 14 on Twitter. The chosen one is telling the truth.
On September 28, in the midst of a debate on superprofits and when nearly 70% of the employees of its refineries were already on strike, the TotalEnergies group effectively announced in a press release that it would distribute an exceptional bonus to its shareholders in December. In front of “the evolution of the oil, gas and electricity markets” and at “very solid balance sheet” that the tanker will display at the end of 2022, Total considered itself in a position “to offer an attractive shareholder return policy”. The tanker’s board of directors, “wishing to share with its shareholders the results of the company in this context of high prices”go “pay an exceptional interim dividend of one euro per share in December 2022”, out of 2.62 billion shares, the statement said. That is therefore 2.62 billion euros in dividends distributed.
Did the CEO of the group, Patrick Pouyanné, increase by 52%? Yes.
While the negotiations between the CGT and the management failed, on the night of Thursday to Friday, on the amount of the salary increase to be paid to the employees, the controversy also swells on the remuneration of the CEO of Total, Patrick Pouyanné, and the increase granted to him for the year 2021.
“Perhaps if the CEO of Total had not increased his salary by 52% in 2021, we would not be in this situation of deadlock”, regretted on Public Senate October 11 Gérard Leseul, socialist deputy for the 5th constituency of Seine-Maritime.
The percentage put forward by the PS deputy is correct. TotalEnergies 2021 Annual Financial Report (PDF, page 239) effectively reveals that the annual remuneration of the CEO has increased from 3.918 million euros in 2020 to 5.944 million in 2021. An increase of 51.7%.
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On this comfortable increase in the big boss’s income, his “fixed remuneration”, his salary strictly speaking goes from 1.167 million in 2020 to 1.4 million euros in 2021. That is an increase of 20%. The bulk of the CEO’s compensation, drawn from his variable part and his shares, is subject to “performance conditions”, specifies the financial document. In other words, Patrick Pouyanné sees his emoluments increase, thanks to the good financial results of his company. However, the oil company recorded a profit of 16 billion dollars in 2021.
For the achievement of his objectives in 2021, the CEO received variable compensation up 27% compared to the previous year (2.506 million euros) but above all no less than 90,000 performance shares or stock options. , valued at 1.972 million euros. i.e. compensation in shares 176% higher than in 2020. It should be noted, however, that in 2020, due to the poor results of the oil group recorded during the Covid-19 pandemic, Patrick Pouyanné had seen his compensation drop by 36%. .4%.