French union extends fuel depot strikes

Strikes at two fuel depots in France's southern Rhône region and Normandy have been extended, according to the CGT trade union, Report informs via RFI.

The French government says measures are in place for things to get back to normal in time for holiday departures.

"The determination of the strikers is intact," said the CGT union official Pedro Alfonso, denouncing government requisitions made "without respect for the Labor Code".

Between 120 and 130 employees are on strike, which represents 90 percent of the services responsible for fuel deliveries.

Employees at the Feyzin site in the Rhône will be invited to vote on the continuation of the movement on Monday.

To try and ease the shortage, the government has used requisitioning powers to force some strikers back to open fuel depots -- a move that has infuriated unions but been upheld in the courts.

Work has resumed at several TotalEnergies refineries and fuel depots, after an agreement negotiated last week between two unions and management.

Strike action at two Esso-ExxonMobil refineries also ended last week, after a pay deal between management and moderate unions which represent a majority of workers.

However, the CGT has not signed any agreement and two sites continue their strike, in Gonfreville near Le Havre, Normandy until 27 October and Feyzin until at least Monday.

Employees taking part in the movement are demanding a salary increase, in the face of inflation and the giant profits reaped by the oil group.

The CGT wants a 10-percent pay rise for staff at TotalEnergies, retroactive to the start of this year.

It says the French group can more than afford it, citing TotalEnergies' net profit of $5.7 billion (€5.7 billion) in the April-June period as energy prices soared with the war in Ukraine, and its payout of billions of euros in dividends to shareholders.