Going to France? Running out of gas

Americans aim for France This week is being encouraged to think twice before renting a car… because the country is running out of gas.

Over the past two weeks, the French General Confederation of Labor union has been at odds with fuel giants TotalEnergies and Esso-ExxonMobil in a dispute over the pay of its members. .

Dozens of workers at several oil refineries owned by multinational companies have gone out, blocking several refineries and blocking gasoline supplies; As a result, more than a quarter of gas stations today have run out of at least one type of fuel and 19% are completely exhausted.

The stalemate has become so tense that the French government stepped in on Wednesday, issuing emergency powers to order workers to return to their jobs.

The government said the recall of essential fuel workers at the blockaded Port Jerome refinery in Notre-Dame-de-Gravenchon, in Normandy, would begin on Wednesday. However, the move risks making the crisis worse, amid fears it could inspire other sectors to join the strike in solidarity with fuel workers. is on strike.

By mid-day, of the more than 11,100 gas stations in France, 2,093 were out of fuel and 1,101 were out of one type of fuel, the British Automobile Association reported on Wednesday afternoon.

Long lines are said to be lurking around petrol pumps up and down in the country as frustrated motorists try to fill them up before the nation’s fuel grid runs out.

Travelers planning to drive in France in the next few days have been warned to have a full charge before entering the country (if possible). They are also advised to use eco-driving techniques such as adjusting the speed and inflating the tires (see more below).

When can the strike end?

When the strike will end depends on how quickly the General Confederation of Labor and TotalEnergies and Esso-ExxonMobil can get back to the table and strike a deal.

Workers at TotalEnergies and Esso-ExxonMobil’s refineries and fuel depots had a pay dispute two weeks ago. They have set up blockades at several refineries, forcing more than 60% of France’s refining capacity – or 740,000 barrels per day – to go offline.

Union leaders are demanding wage increases to help workers cope with soaring inflation as Europe grapples with one of its worst cost-of-living crises in decades.

Related: Here’s how to go to France now and how it feels when you arrive

There had been hopes that the dispute would come to an end on Sunday when TotalEnergies, one of the world’s largest energy multinationals, agreed to launch wage negotiations in return for workers serving return service. However, the union refused, accusing management of “blackmail”.

In an effort to prevent the nation’s pump-running problems, the French government has assured drivers it is doing everything it can to reach an agreement with fuel unions. Speaking during a visit to Mayenne in western France, President Emmanuel Macron said: “Negotiations are underway and on the right track … I hope that in the coming hours, at the earliest, this issue. can be resolved. Containment is not the way to negotiate.”

Then, in a surprising move, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne announced the decision to requisition workers to operate the gas depot of ExxonMobil, the French subsidiary of Esso, and threatened to do the same for those of TotalEnergies. if not quickly reach an agreement. She did not give a timeframe for that demand.

“Disagreement over wages cannot justify stopping the country,” she said, adding: “I have asked the county chiefs to initiate a procedure to requisition workers who are indispensable to the operation. [of the Esso fuel depots]. “

Unions responded by calling the plans “violent” and suspending all ongoing negotiations with the government and employers.

In response, TotalEnergies said it would offer to hold the first talks with unions unrelated to the strikes. The General Confederation of Labor will only be “welcome” to the table if it ends the roams, it added. The union called it “blackmail”.