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TotalEnergies: the strike continues, the government is pushing to resolve the crisis

“I call on the companies concerned, which, for the most part, still have good results, to also consider requests for a salary increase”, declared Olivia Grégoire, Minister Delegate for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, on Franceinfo, without cite by name TotalEnergies and its 10.

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TotalEnergies: the strike continues, the government is pushing to resolve the crisis

“I call on the companies concerned, which, for the most part, still have good results, to also consider requests for a salary increase”, declared Olivia Grégoire, Minister Delegate for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, on Franceinfo, without cite by name TotalEnergies and its 10.6 billion dollars of profit in the first half.

“We expect companies (…) to make efforts towards employees,” she said.

The largest TotalEnergies refinery, near Le Havre (Seine-Maritime), is shut down. Other sites of the group are on strike. And the two French refineries of its American competitor Esso-ExxonMobil are also shut down, in both cases at the call of the CGT, in order to obtain a wage increase.

“We are doing everything so that in the coming days this situation can be resolved” and the government is “in connection with Total to try to facilitate social dialogue”, indicated for his part the Minister Delegate for Transport, Clément Beaune, on LCI. .

- "Significant difficulties" -

Tanker trucks will exceptionally be allowed to circulate on Sunday because of "fairly localized, but significant difficulties", announced Mr. Beaune, who was to bring together the transporters' federations on Friday morning "to see locally where we can improve supply".

Government spokesman Olivier Véran also made a request to TotalEnergies on BFMTV, indicating that the government was "extremely attentive to ensuring that this social movement finds a solution as quickly as possible".

At the French oil company, in addition to its Normandy refinery, the strikers were massively mobilized at the fuel depot in Flanders, near Dunkirk (North), at the "bio-refinery" in La Mède (Bouches-du-Rhône) and at the depot of fuels from Grandpuits (Seine-et-Marne) in particular, in order to limit the outflow of petroleum products as much as possible, according to the CGT.

The mobilization was much lower – 10 to 30% strikers – at the Feyzin refinery (Rhône), but concentrated on the strategic shipping department, where the CGT claimed “between 80 and 100% strikers”, indicated to AFP Pedro Afonso, elected CGT of this refinery.

Blockades by strikers lead to lower fuel deliveries, so petrol stations are more often out of stocks of petrol or diesel. TotalEnergies manages almost a third of French stations.

But the group also puts the disturbances on the account of the success of the discount at the pump of 20 centimes which it grants since September 1, in addition to the rebate of the State.

- "Silence radio" - 

Currently, 15% of service stations are affected by a lack of one or more fuels, according to a figure quoted by several ministers.

The behavior of certain motorists has prompted the State to prohibit the sale and purchase of fuel in jerry cans and drums, in particular in certain departments of Hauts-de-France.

"Those who can wait a little bit, do not rush to the service stations because that will increase the problem", asked Mr. Beaune during a press briefing.

In order to calm the situation, the government has occasionally activated the State's strategic stocks, particularly in the regions where there are the greatest tensions.

From the Feyzin refinery, Mr Afonso lamented a "complete radio silence from our management, which does not meet with us and absolutely does not want to move things forward".

While the CGT is demanding a 10% increase in 2022 -- 7% for inflation, 3% for "wealth sharing" -- management has been recalling from the start that it has granted wage measures representing a average increase of 3.5% in 2022 and refers to a negotiation session scheduled for November 15... for wages in 2023.

"If we have to hold out until November 15, there are no worries," assured Mr. Afonso, ensuring that he could count on a large "solidarity fund", created to compensate for any loss of wages that would cause conflict for the strikers.

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