In French oil refineries, at the call of the CGT-Chemistry union and other organizations, strikes against the pension reform are multiplying. For this reason, the Ministry of Energy decided to use the strategic reserves of black gold.
According to the French energy department, the targeted use of oil reserves was initiated in early March.
As of March 21, 700 gas stations across the country are without any type of fuel and 852 gas stations are experiencing a shortage of the most popular brands of gasoline and diesel. The number of service stations where there is a shortage of petroleum products is constantly increasing.
Fuel shortages lead to traffic jams at gas stations. A partial solution to the problem was the authorities’ decision to forcibly send protesters to work at gas stations.
In particular, strikes took place at TotalEnergies facilities: at the largest oil refinery in France, Gonfreville-l’Orcher, in the Seine-Maritime department; at the Donge plant in the Loire-Atlantique department; at the Flandres refinery in Dunkirk. According to the Labor Force (FO) union, all refinery employees are on strike at the last plant.
Also, the employees of ExxonMobil companies refuse to work: the Port-Jérôme-Gravenchon refinery in Seine-Maritime and the Fos-sur-Mer plant in the Bouches-du-Rhône, where 93% of the workforce participates in Strike. Petroineos’ Lavera refinery has also suspended work.
Photos used: Photobank Moscow-Live/flickr.com
