The government had placed the past week under the sign of sobriety, with the presentation, Thursday, October 6, of the energy saving plan. But it is the word shortage that has made its way onto the agenda. In recent days, images of queues of motorists waiting to refuel have multiplied in many regions. A situation caused in part by several strikes in the refineries and fuel depots of TotalEnergies and Esso-ExxonMobil started about ten days ago.
Friday, October 7, after an informal European summit in Prague, Emmanuel Macron tried to calm the situation. “I really want to get a message here (…) call for calm, declared the President of the Republic before inviting “Each and everyone has a responsibility. All wage claims are legitimate, but they must not prevent each other from living and being able to circulate. »
“The situation will improve throughout the week, promised, Sunday, October 9, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on the sidelines of a trip to Algeria. The measures we have taken have increased deliveries by 20% compared to the usual flows. » “It takes time for the flows to reach the right place and for this to compensate for the overconsumption effect that has appeared in certain areas”we still explain to the Ministry of Energy Transition.
The day after a meeting with transporters, Agnès Pannier Runacher, the Minister for Energy Transition, announced on Saturday the release of strategic stocks, the mobilization of oil operators called upon to increase imports and the authorization to circulate trucks on weekends to supply service stations. Agnès Pannier Runacher and her colleague in charge of transport, Clément Beaune, also multiplied contacts with all the parties during the weekend, in particular with TotalEnergies which proposed to bring forward the salary negotiations initially scheduled for mid-November, but also with the central trade unions.
Put pressure on tankers
Agnès Pannier-Runacher also obtained from the leaders of Esso-ExxonMobil that they bring together the unions, Monday, October 10, and hopes that an agreement will be found quickly. “The management of Esso and Total have clearly made overtures vis-à-vis the employee representatives today, says the minister. We have had discussions, me and my teams, with the various trade union organizations in recent days. I have heard messages of responsibility. This must now materialize quickly and social dialogue must take place within the rules. »
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