Pension reform: after 49.3, the CGT announces the shutdown of the largest refinery in France

Will the use of 49.3 put France out of fuel? The announcement, Saturday, March 18, by the CGT of the shutdown of the largest refinery in France, the TotalEnergies site in Gonfreville-L’Orcher (Seine-Maritime), marks a hardening in the conflict against the pension reform.

It had been several weeks since the refining unions had been offering the strikers the outright cessation of their working tool. But if the seven refineries in France have suspended shipments of the fuels produced there on numerous occasions since January, since the beginning of the conflict their employees did not want to take this step, the shutdown of these huge industrial installations, and their restart, being very heavy.

The government could make requisitions

Until Friday, therefore, the day after the passage in force of the government in Parliament. “The units have been stopping since last night”, the CGT general secretary of the refinery, Alexis Antonioli, told AFP on Saturday. This shutdown will take several days and should not cause immediate fuel shortages at service stations. France has 200 oil depots, and oil companies have anticipated to avoid the giant shortage of last October, caused by a dispute over wages at TotalEnergies and Esso.

Industry Minister Roland Lescure has already hinted on Saturday that the government could proceed with requisitions, as happened in the fall and as the government is currently doing in Paris for garbage collectors.