Even though the prices of petrol and diesel in our country are much higher than in France, more and more French people are refueling at Belgian petrol stations in the border region.
This is because a strike in several French oil refineries has left many petrol stations running out of fuel. Due to the strikers’ blockades, deliveries of fuel to France are very difficult.
Currently, according to the Paris government, fifteen per cent of French petrol stations are already experiencing a shortage of one or more fuels. In some regions, a ban on buying fuel in canisters has been introduced. Meanwhile, the government has tapped into strategic oil reserves.
With the strike, the French union CGT wants to increase the pressure on oil companies to respect their wage demands. It can also count on the support of the French government. This was stated in an interview on the radio by the Deputy Minister responsible for SMEs, Olivia Grégoire France Info that oil companies performed well and invited them to consider wage claims.
The strike affects, among other things, the largest TotalEnergies refinery in France, near the port city of Le Havre. This French oil group operates nearly a third of all French service stations. (Belgian)
