France’s energy ministry has said that more than a fifth of France’s service stations were struggling with supply problems on Saturday, as strikes at refineries run by TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil continued.
The ministry said 20.7% of service stations were experiencing difficulties with at least one product at 1 p.m. (1100 GMT) on Saturday, compared with 19% the day before.
“The Government is doing its utmost to restore the situation to normal as soon as possible”, Energy Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said in a statement.
Despite the supply shortages, Reuters reported that the government would not ration petrol for drivers or restrict the use of service stations, citing what the Environment Minister Christophe Bechu told franceinfo radio.
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“We haven’t reached this point yet,” Bechu told franceinfo radio when asked if the government would impose any national measures beyond bans in some places on filling jerry cans.
“We are calling on people’s calm and sense of responsibility,” the minister said, adding that he believed the situation would ease over the next few days as the government makes further use of its strategic reserves.
A walkout by CGT trade union members at TotalEnergies – mainly over pay – has disrupted operations at two refineries and two storage facilities, while two Exxon Mobil refineries have faced similar problems since Sept. 20.
The General Confederation of Labour (Confédération générale du travail – CGT) is based in France and is strong of 690,000 members. It is affiliated to the European Trade Union Confederation and the International Trade Union Confederation and is one of the confederated unions representing France.
The Energy Minister said that “a solution to this conflict must be found as soon as possible,” in remarks aimed in the direction of striking workers and bosses, echoing remarks made by President Emmanuel Macron on Friday.
The strikes have reduced France’s total refinery output by more than 60%, according to Reuters calculations.
“Nothing has moved on, the strikes continued this morning,” a CGT representative at TotalEnergies said.
He added that the union would make a new appeal on Saturday to TotalEnergies Chief Executive Patrick Pouyanne to open negotiations ahead of formal wage talks in November, and that the union had not given up on any of its demands.
A CGT representative at Exxon Mobil also said the strikes at two of the U.S. company’s two French refineries were continuing on Saturday morning and would likely last through the weekend, with new talks with management planned on Monday.
Nnamdi Maduakor is a Writer, Investor and Entrepreneur
