On 27 September, workers at eight refinery and petrochemical sites in France belonging to TotalEnergies (Paris; www.totalenergies.com) began their previously announced three-day strike, aiming for a complete blockade of the group’s refineries and fuel depots. The main target of the labour action is petrol stations, with the intent reportedly to affect the public on a broad scale.

The sites in Carling, Donges, Gonfreville, and Feyzin also have notable petrochemical and polymer activities, and the plants there operated by other companies, such as ExxonMobil in Gravenchon, are also said to be affected.

A spokesperson for the French union CGT said the walkout is expected to reduce production at the refineries by 20-30%. TotalEnergies did not confirm these figures at press time. However, multiple refineries and petrochemical facilities have either been shut down or already running at a reduced rate for some time, meaning the added effect of the strike will not be as noticeable as would be expected under normal circumstances. More than 40% of refinery capacity in France is rumoured to have been offline before the start of the strike.

In addition to a 10% increase in wages for the group’s roughly 35,000 employees, the list of demands includes an end to the hiring freeze and a “massive” investment plan by TotalEnergies at its domestic sites.

CGT also called for a nationwide general strike on 29 September over the government’s handling of the energy crisis.