PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th October, 2022) The French government warned that it would intervene if the French company TotalEnergies, whose employees had been on strike for 15 consecutive days, does not reach a consensus with the country's trade unions in the coming hours of Tuesday.
"The government urges that the blockage of refineries is stopped completely and without delay, otherwise we will be forced to intervene, to stop the strikes by force," French government spokesman Olivier Veran said on air of the RTL radio station.
If the strikes are not brought to an end in the coming hours the French government would be forced to clear access to fuel storage facilities, Veran said, adding that there were no more reasons for the strikes since the trade unions and the management have managed to come to an agreement.
The strike of TotalEnergies' employees has been going on in France since September 27. 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.
The strike, in particular, affected France's largest refinery near the city of Le Havre in Normandy, as well as refineries in the communes of Feizin and Donges, the La Mede bio-processing plant in the commune of Chateauneuf-les-Martigues and the Grand-Puy fuel storage. Later, strikes also began at two refineries owned by ExxonMobil.
On Sunday, the French energy ministry reported that almost 30% of the country's gas stations have a shortage of at least one type of fuel.
