Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Lebanese Ministry of Health: Final toll from airstrike on car in Zebdine, Nabatieh District: Two martyrs, four injured
Egyptian media: Indirect talks between Hamas and Israelis begin in Sharm el-Sheikh.
AFP: France's new PM Sebastein Lecornu resigns just hours after unveiling cabinet.
Trump: Technical teams will meet again on Monday in Egypt to discuss and clarify the final details, and the first phase is scheduled to be completed this week
US President Donald Trump: Talks with Hamas have been very successful and are moving at a rapid pace
Local sources in Aleppo: Violent clashes erupt between the SDF and factions affiliated with the transitional authority on the Deir Hafer and Tishrin Dam fronts in the eastern Aleppo countryside
Israeli media: Interceptor missiles fired in an attempt to shoot down the drone
IOF Spokesperson: Sirens sounded amid suspected "enemy aircraft" infiltrating the Eilat area
Israeli media: "Israel" won the battle but lost the war strategically and politically
Israeli media: Ben Gurion Airport's airspace closed to air traffic following missile launch from Yemen

Massive oil strike in France causing fuel shortages

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 9 Oct 2022 22:33
  • 5 Shares
3 Min Read

Three of the six oil refineries in France are currently closed due to strikes by workers that have reduced production by 60%, equivalent to 740,000 barrels of gasoline a day.

  • x
  • Massive oil strike in France causing fuel shortages
    The sign reads "No fuel in the station"

The fuel crisis in France has caused massive queues at gas stations across the country as the CGT union has been spearheading a refinery workers’ strike over the last two weeks for a 10% pay raise amid the current energy crisis.

Employees at the French energy groups TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil are outraged over the immense wealth amassed by the two refineries after a price surge allowed the companies to commission mindblowing dividends, as well as additional special dividends to investors.

Workers from TotalEnergies are demanding a share of the company’s €8bn profit, one of the many oil companies that took advantage of the price surge triggered by the Ukrainian conflict, despite that government officials have been urging the company to resolve the dispute.

As of now, three of Total’s refineries are halted, including its largest in Normandy, as well as a fuel depot near Flanders in the north, after a blockade began almost two weeks ago.

As for ExxonMobil, wage disputes have been going on for weeks.

In some petrol stations, especially in the vicinities of Paris and Northern France, the wait queue can go as far as reaching two hours. Lack of patience over the wait prompted a driver in Haute-Savoie to stab a man in his thirties as he accused him of overtaking in a queue.

According to Reuters, the strikes have caused a reduction of France’s total refinery output by more than 60%.

Related News

US to provide Ukraine with intel on energy targets deep within Russia

Taiwan, Ukraine ally, is biggest importer of Russian crude oil product

Although negotiations over pay were scheduled to start in November, TotalEnergies announced on Sunday it intends to begin the process this month, provided that there was an end to the industrial action restricting output at some of its sites.

"TotalEnergies calls on everyone to act responsibly so that the company can supply the French people in the best possible conditions," the firm said in a statement.

Last week, TotalEnergies’ CEO said "the time has come to reward" workers, yet no date was specified for the talks.

CGT coordinator Eric Sellini told the AFP news agency that the strikes will remain ongoing but they were open to talks as soon as Monday. "If we do start talks, it will be based on our demands: a 10% salary hike … retroactive for the year 2022." 

As for ExxonMobil, CGT published a tweet in which the union stated, "The strike continues today for the 20th day, we are sorry for the problems this causes but we have no other way to make ourselves heard by our management."

La grève continue aujourd'hui pour le 20ème jour, nous sommes désolés pour les problèmes que cela occasionne mais nous n'avons pas d'autre moyen pour nous faire entendre de notre direction : @ExxonMobil_FRA

— cgt exxonmobil (@cgtexxonmobil) October 9, 2022

France has been tapping into its fuel reserves to supply gas stations in a bid to ease panic among its citizens.

Tanker trucks were given exceptional authorization on Sunday to circulate on the roads in order to urgently resupply the service stations.

Read more: Pro-BDS Nobel Prize winner Annie Ernaux urges protests against Macron

  • Russian oil
  • Protests
  • France
  • European Union

Most Read

Iraq at a crossroads: A new war front?

Iraq at a crossroads: A new war front?

  • West Asia
  • 30 Sep 2025
A Hamas fighter in combat fatigues stands before the ceremony for the handover of Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, February 22, 2025 (AP)

Hamas responds to Trump plan, backs Gaza withdrawal, exchange

  • Politics
  • 3 Oct 2025
Tucker Carlson speaks at a memorial for Charlie Kirk, Sunday, September 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (AP)

Tucker Carlson: Israeli officers gave orders on Iran inside Pentagon

  • Politics
  • 2 Oct 2025
ap

'Israel' pays influencers $7K per post to whitewash Gaza genocide

  • Politics
  • 1 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Hezbollah's representative in Iran, Sayyed Abdullah Safieddine, during an interview with Al Mayadeen which aired on October 6, 2025 (Al Mayadeen)
Politics

Tehran never interferes in Hezbollah decisions: Representative in Iran

Smoke billows over the Gaza Strip following an Israeli bombardment, as seen from southern Palestine, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (AP)
Politics

Indirect talks for a ceasefire in Gaza begin in Sharm El-Sheikh: Egypt

Fighters from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) prepare to attend a military parad in Qamishli, northeastern Syria, Tuesday, August 12, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Security forces seal Aleppo’s Sheikh Maqsoud, Ashrafieh districts

Amsterdam Captain Mohammed Ali Mohiuddin, who took part in the Global Sumud mission to Gaza, talks to Al Mayadeen on October 6, 2025 (Screengrab)
Politics

GSF captain says despite abuse, 'Israel weaker than spider's web'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS