Nearly one in five filling stations in France are short on fuel due to the ongoing strike of TotalEnergies employees, Figaro reports, citing the country's ministry for energy transition
PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th October, 2022) Nearly one in five filling stations in France are short on fuel due to the ongoing strike of TotalEnergies employees, Figaro reports, citing the country's ministry for energy transition.
The problems with supply result in long queues at gas stations, while some regions had to limit how much fuel drivers can buy and prohibit selling and buying fuel in gas cans.
According to the ministry, around 20% of service stations across the country are now without at least one type of car fuel, with northern France most affected by the shortage. Some 40% of gas stations in the departments of Pas-de-Calais and Nord have reported problems with fuel supply.
On Friday, 15% of service stations were experiencing fuel shortages all over France.
The strike of TotalEnergies' employees has been going on in France over the past week. Last Tuesday, trade unions announced a three-day protest demanding a 10% pay increase as well as indexing 2022 wages to match the record-breaking inflation. An indefinite extension of the strike was later declared by the unions.
At the same time, the government's 30 cent rebate on gas, applicable from September 1 to October 31, has encouraged drivers to buy more, increasing the gap between supply and demand. The subsequent shortages have caused some gas stations in the north of France to close temporarily while triggering shortages in Paris, forcing some drivers to go to Belgium to fill their tanks, according to local media.
