A surprise announcement from the CGT, three days before the start of the renewable strike scheduled for next Tuesday. This afternoon, the energy branch of the trade union center announced that it would begin “from this Friday afternoon” reductions in electricity production in several nuclear power plants. This, “taking into account the debate which opens in the Senate” on article 1 concerning the abolition of special pension schemes, announced the CGT.
Under these conditions “the EDF agents of the nuclear power plants go on strike and lower the production of electricity this afternoon”, thus indicated the CGT Mines and Energy on Twitter.
????RETIREMENTS
????Given the debate that opens in @Senate on article 1⃣ concerning the abolition of special diets…
➡️EDF agents from nuclear power plants go on strike✊
???? drop in electricity production this afternoon#withdrawal of the Borne-Macron project— FNME-CGT (@FNMECGT) March 3, 2023
Following this announcement, the EDF site already listed load reductions in several nuclear power plants. Those of Flamanville (Manche), Paluel (Seine-Maritime) and Saint-Alban (Isère) were affected by drops equivalent to a total of just over 1,000 MW, according to the EDF website, i.e. the power of a nuclear reactor, but the movement “aims to expand”, according to the CGT.
“We have just called for generalization, including in hydraulics. It will be organized today, tonight and tomorrow Saturday,” Sébastien Ménesplier, secretary general of CGT Energie, told AFP. These reductions in production, closely supervised by the operator of the high and very high voltage line network RTE, generally do not lead to cuts for customers.
surprise movement
The movement will last “at least until the 7th and at the most until winning,” said Mr. Ménesplier. “If Emmanuel Macron does not want a France at a standstill and a black week in energy, it would be better for him to withdraw his reform”, he concluded.
The examination by the Senate, expected from Friday evening, even Saturday, of article 1 of the pension reform project relating to the abolition of special regimes, including that of electricians and gas workers, has set fire to the powder. The sector fears that this system will disappear and with it, in the long term, its protective status intended to compensate in particular for the time constraints of the profession.
In mid-February, after several mobilizations, the eight main French unions said they were ready to “bring France to a halt in all sectors on March 7” if the government and Parliament “remain deaf” to the mobilization against the reform retirements.
Pensions: the CGT calls for “bringing the French economy to its knees”
Avec AFP