France Willing To Requisite Fuel If Worker Stand Off Prolongs
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Alaina
- . October 11, 2022
- . Update: November 11, 2022 12:43 am
France doesn’t seem to be moved by the fuel strike been organized by workers of Total Energies and ExxonMobil; so much so that is now prepared to ‘requisition’ fuel. According to government sources, the strike has to end and cannot continue for so long.
Fuel depots have remained blocked in France and the finance minister Bruno Le Maire is now urging unions and employers to strike a pay deal as soon as possible. It’s been a week and more counting stand-off, over a 10percent pay hike that has not been adhered to by the employers.
While ExxonMobil has announced a deal with employees at two refineries, no progress has been reported in talks with rival company Total Energies.
President Emmanuel Macron has appealed for calm amid fears of fuel shortages, especially in the north of France.
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Speaking to French radio on Tuesday, Mr Le Maire appealed for both sides to show responsibility to bring the strike to an end.
Meanwhile, news is pouring in that people are starting to line on the borders to get a supply of fuel from Belgium. Government has agreed to intervene and enter talks if dialogue has not yielded any progress, especially with the Total Energies workers.
The official spokesperson for Total Energies has said to the media, “We will have no other option but to requisition the necessary means to free up the depots and make the refineries work.”
The company said it had a “constructive and open state of mind” in negotiations and wanted workers to be given a fair reward. France’s biggest trade union, CGT, announced on Monday it was continuing the strike.
The union said it was doubtful that Total Energies was prepared to meet its demands and that it was not willing to agree to a temporary suspension.
