The French association of 120 refrigerated transport companies La Chaine Logistique du Froid warned on Tuesday of possible disruptions to the supply of perishable products if the shortage of fuel in the country persists due to strikes
PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th October, 2022) The French association of 120 refrigerated transport companies La Chaine Logistique du Froid warned on Tuesday of possible disruptions to the supply of perishable products if the shortage of fuel in the country persists due to strikes.
"Blocking the operation of oil refineries in the country puts companies that transport perishable food (...) in an increasingly difficult position in terms of fuel supplies," the association said in a statement. "We ask that fuel production be maintained and be made available for refrigerated carriers to avoid endangering the population's food supply," Valerie Lasserre, the association's general delegate added, as quoted in the statement.
Companies engaged in the transportation of perishable products face difficulties with the supply of fuel throughout France, especially in the Hauts-de-France region in the north of the country, the association added. In this regard, the association warned about the risks of disruptions in the transportation of fresh and frozen products to industrialists, large retailers and catering enterprises.
The strike by energy sector employees has been ongoing in France since September 21, when Exxonmobil employees went on strike. They were joined on September 27 by workers of French energy company TotalEnergies. Last Tuesday, trade unions announced a three-day protest demanding a 10% pay increase as well as the indexation of 2022 wages to match the current record-breaking inflation. An indefinite extension of the strike was later announced 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.
On Monday, long queues lined up at gas stations on a major highway near Paris due to the strikes, a Ria Novosti correspondent reported. Some gas stations did not have diesel fuel. Drivers complained that they had to wait in line for hours, blaming the authorities of France and the US for the energy crisis. The strike led to a shortage of fuel at every third gas station in the country.
