- Title: French power output down 10% as a third of workforce strikes
- Date: 19th September 2019
- Summary: NOGENT-SUR-SEINE, FRANCE (FILE - NOVEMBER 13, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF WATER COOLING TOWERS AT NUCLEAR POWER STATION FESSENHEIM, FRANCE (FILE - NOVEMBER 26, 2013) (REUTERS) NUCLEAR PLANT SIGN FOR EDF SIGN READING (French): "FESSENHEIM NUCLEAR PLANT" VARIOUS OF CONTROL STATION INSIDE NUCLEAR PLANT
- Embargoed: 3rd October 2019 14:30
- Keywords: France Emmanuel Macron EDF workers on strike restructuring plan French power generation nuclear power plant
- Location: PARIS, NOGENT-SUR-SEINE, FESSENHEIM AND FLAMANVILLE, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, NOGENT-SUR-SEINE, FESSENHEIM AND FLAMANVILLE, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA002AXBQVD3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A third of EDF's workforce in France went on strike on Thursday (September 19) to protest a restructuring plan, the state-controlled utility said, sending French power generation down by more than 10 percent.
EDF said that about 20,000 workers in France had joined the industrial action at midday in one of the biggest strike turnouts at the company in eight years.
The strike has reduced power generation by some 6 gigawatts, affecting output in several nuclear, hydro and gas-fired power plants. The strike is due to end on Thursday evening.
Power station outages will not knock out the grid or hit households, although cuts in power output are costly for EDF as it has to import any shortfall from overseas.
EDF workers are protesting against plans steered by the French government to restructure and potentially split the heavily-indebted group, with its nuclear power generation business set to one side.
The strike was more disruptive than previous stoppages, with four unions representing a majority of France's energy workers joining forces behind the walkout this time. Previously, the unions have not acted together.
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