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Gas stations in France are facing problems getting enough supply to meet demand amid a strike announced by workers at energy giant Total Energies.
“There are temporary problems with distribution,” said Olivier Véran, spokesman for the French government. Said RMC Radio and BFMTV. While 15% of his petrol stations across the country were experiencing such “temporary problems” overall, 90% of his petrol stations in the capital Paris faced no problems, he said. Stated. However, his 10% of city stations are having trouble getting an adequate fuel supply.
In the Hauts-de-France region, approximately 30% of pumps were affected due to failure to maintain fuel supply.
Northern regions of France are reported to be the most affected. In Somme, Pas-de-Calais and Nord departments, police have banned the sale of fuel in jerrycans, police said. RFIs radio station.
Some gas stations have been asked to ensure priority access for medical transport, nurses and doctors.
Gas station closures are largely due to a strike by members of the CGT trade union at TotalEnergies, a French multinational integrated energy and oil company.
The strike disrupted operations at two storage facilities and two refineries operated by the company. Two of his refineries operated by Exxon Mobil have also faced similar problems since last month.
The strike and some unplanned maintenance activities have taken more than 60% of France’s refining capacity offline.
Fuel supplies are also facing pressure as TotalEnergies offers discounts on purchases, which is causing an increase in demand. The company’s gas stations reported an estimated 30% increase in demand as a result of the offer.
Labor strikes and negotiations, reserves
Unions want higher wages as oil workers struggle with inflation. France’s annual inflation rate fell from just 2.9% in January to 5.6% in September. Inflation has been consistently above 4% since March.
CGT is demanding a 10% salary increase from TotalEnergies. But management has rejected such a raise this year and only wants to negotiate in 2023, union representative Thierry Defresne said. Said Reuters.
and interview Speaking on LCI television Friday, Transport Minister Clément Beaune confirmed that efforts to end the strike are underway.
“Today there are talks between the company and workers to unblock the situation,” he said. “We are doing everything to ease the situation in the next few days, especially in the most difficult areas like northern France.”
On Wednesday, the French government announced that it has used its strategic fuel reserves to ensure that empty gas stations receive the supplies they need. According to UFIP, he, the French oil industry association, fuel shortages at fuel stations are due to logistics rather than supply shortages.
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Naveen Athrappully is a news reporter covering business and world events for The Epoch Times.
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