Shipments disrupted at several French refineries due to strikes

TotalEnergies reported that strike action had interrupted shipments at several production sites in France, as the country continues to face widespread protests over government plans to increase the retirement age.

The company said on Thursday shipments were blocked at La Mède, Donges, Normandy and Dunkirk, but added it continued to make sure petrol stations were supplied.

Strikes are taking place today in the refineries against the pension reform.

In the refineries of TotalEnergies, the CGT identifies 100% of strikers in the North, 80% in Normandy and 30% in Seine-et-Marne. #france https://t.co/peUE6cttsw

— Cityintel (@Cityintel1) January 26, 2023

A CGT union representative for TotalEnergies said strike participation across French sites was around 60 percent.

ExxonMobile and other disruptions

Figures for Esso refinery sites, run by ExxonMobil, were not immediately available.

One union representative for ExxonMobil said there was “nothing spectacular planned at our sites, no well-organised blockages nor pickets ... Oil workers refuse this reform but don’t want to be on the front line.”

In electricity, about 100 megawatts (MW) of power supply was reduced by the strike at the Belleville 1 nuclear reactor, operator EDF said. No disruptions to hydropower supply have been communicated.

Many workers in France have started strikes this month to protest against plans by President Emmanuel Macron’s government to reform the country’s pension system, which would see the retirement age pushed up by two years to 64.