AFP
News from the NOS•today, 07:39
The conflict between the French energy company Total and the trade unions, whose members have been on strike and blocking the refineries for weeks, is agitated. Around 3:30, two large unions and Total agreed on a pay rise for their members. The CGT trade union federation, protagonist of the actions, has moved away from consultations and alludes to new strikes.
Total is offering a 7 percent salary increase from next year, plus a year-end bonus of € 3,000 to € 6,000 this year, depending on occupation. Representatives of the major trade unions CFDT and CFE-CGC agreed last night and represent the majority of the workers on strike.
The CGT is demanding a 10 percent pay rise.
Queuing at night
Unions that accept Total’s offer have yet to present it to their members. It happens around noon today. If the majority of members agree, work will resume and the fuel chaos that has been gripping France for weeks is likely to end.
Spread across France, nearly one in three petrol stations have problems: no fuel or only to a limited extent. At the pumps that are still running normally, there are long traffic jams every day. Even at night people queue in the hope that it will be less crowded.
Injunction
At the moment, five of the seven French refineries are closed due to strikes and blockades. The French government recently lobbied employees with a mandate to go to work, with little success.
It is unclear whether members of the CGT dissident union can continue the blockades and strikes on their own. The union does not seem to want to throw in the towel, and is now also alluding to strikes in sectors other than the oil industry, for example between officials and employees of transport companies. The union, together with the smaller unions, is calling for a “big strike day” next Tuesday.
