- Title: French motorists face fuel shortage as strikes and protests bite
- Date: 23rd May 2016
- Summary: GRANDPUITS, FRANCE (MAY 23, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TOTAL OIL REFINERY VARIOUS OF TOTAL OIL REFINERY SIGN WITH BANNER ABOVE READING (French): "On strike" VARIOUS OF TOTAL REFINERY TOTAL LOGO BEHIND BARBED WIRE MORMANT, FRANCE (MAY 23, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF POLICEMAN HELPING MOTORIST PUSH BROKEN DOWN CAR (BATTERY PROBLEM, NOT BECAUSE OF FUEL) INTO PETROL STATION POLICEMAN STANDING BY AT PETROL STATION MOTORISTS PUMPING FUEL INTO CARS (SOUNDBITE) (French) MOTORIST ON HIS WAY TO WORK, JEAN-PIERRE, SAYING : "It's becoming nonsense, you understand. They have causes to defend, that's a fact for sure but you can't affect users like this, it doesn't stop. That's France, a bloody mess. There you go. People who work, are not able to work" FUEL PUMP NOZZLE IN FUEL TANK SIGN READING (French): "Petrol, out of stock. Out of service" SOUNDBITE (French) MOTORIST WAITING AT STATION, SAYING : "Yes, it's quite a nuisance for users but I mean there are far worse things so we adapt. Given everything that is happening in France at the moment, well you know it's a small inconvenience compared to things that are much worse, so there you go, we make do." VARIOUS OF MOTORISTS PUMPING FUEL INTO CARS SOUNDBITE (French) MOTORIST ON HER WAY TO WORK, MARTINE DEJEU, SAYING : "Well it's too long, we all work, we all have occupations so it's not very wise, it's a lack of communication between the state and corporations." MOTORIST PUMPING FUEL INTO CAR VARIOUS CARS QUEUING TO GET FUEL GRANDPUITS, FRANCE (MAY 23, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF WORKERS AT TOTAL REFINERY VARIOUS OF TOTAL REFINERY PARIS, FRANCE (MAY 23, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF CLOSED TOTAL PETROL STATION FUEL PUMP NOZZLES WITH OUT OF SERVICE STICKERS ON THEM LIST BOARD OF FUEL TYPES WITH EMPTY PRICE SQUARES
- Embargoed: 7th June 2016 12:09
- Keywords: Fuel strike union refinery Grandpuits petrol shortage
- Location: GRANDPUITS, MORMANT & PARIS, FRANCE
- City: GRANDPUITS, MORMANT & PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0014J13YVB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Motorists in France faced a fuel shortage as the ongoing anti-labour reform strike continued on Monday (May 23), paralysing some sectors of the French oil industry and disrupting the fuel supply.
The rolling strikes, which began in March and have gathered pace in recent weeks, have disrupted fuel supplies in France since Friday with protesting workers blockading petrol depots and halting production at refineries.
French oil and gas company Total, which operates five of the eight refineries in France, has started the process of shutting down three - at Normandy, Donges and Feyzin - while its Grandpuits refinery was running at minimum output.
Oil sector workers in the CGT, which is France's biggest trade union, and at the third biggest FO, said on Monday they planned to intensify the action until the government withdraws a labour reform law, because they say it will hurt workers.
Motorists found themselves having to queue in long lines to access the petrol stations to pump fuel into their cars, as police stood close by to monitor the situation.
A similar prolonged strike at French refineries in 2010 led to a glut of crude in Europe because it could not be delivered, and a spike in refined product prices due to low output.
The French government has moved to reassure the public that France was not running out of fuel after shortages at hundreds of petrol stations in several regions sparked panic buying.
Finance Minister Michel Sapin accused CGT of holding France hostage, saying the government would take the necessary action to end the blockades and restart production at refineries.
Union members at Total 101,000 barrels-per-day Grandpuits refinery voted to shut down production as part of an ongoing protest over labour reform laws, an FO union official told Reuters.
The refinery, Total's smallest, but the closest to the French capital, has been running at minimum output levels since last week.
Total said in a statement that 612 out of its 2,200 petrol stations across France had partially or completely ran out of fuel, while striking workers were blockading two out of its nine fuel depots. There are 78 primary fuel depots in mainland France. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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