The crisis continues. This Thursday morning, the CGT called all employees of TotalEnergies to block fuel shipments to several refineries. Last July, some of the group’s stations returned to a ceiling of €1.99/L for gasoline and diesel, leading to a large influx of motorists – while the diesel price could reach 2.25 euros per liter in the group’s other stations against a backdrop of tensions in the Middle East. The refineries of Normandy, Donges (Loire-Atlantique) and the bio-refinery of La Mède (Bouches-du-Rhône) are affected by this blockage for a 24-hour movement.
The activity maintained by the group
More than 50% of existing staff are already on strike on these sites, according to Éric Sellini, CGT coordinator of the group, cited by The Voice of the North. A figure contested by the management of TotalEnergies, which assures that there is “less than 2% of strikers” in all of its refineries and bio-refineries and confirms that the group’s activity continues. In Donges, however, the CGT counts 60% of strikers. “There will be no product coming out of the refinery today,” announced Sébastien Gélard, CGT general secretary of the site. The factory will not be completely shut down, the stoppages being between “two hours and all day”. The mobilization also affects service stations.
The CGT reports 27 closures among the approximately 180 stations operated by the subsidiary Argedis, while management counts 11. Across the group, the network has around 3,300 stations. “ The first demand is employment, there is a permanent shortage of staff “, declared Sébastien Gélard. The union deplores the workforce “under tension “, unreplaced departures and the increased use of temporary work, fixed-term contracts and subcontracting.
The union deplores the workforce “under tension “, unreplaced departures and the increased use of temporary work, fixed-term contracts and subcontracting. Despite the announcement by management of the payment to employees of an advance of 1,000 euros on their annual bonus, the call for a strike was maintained.
