Transport workers and civil servants may soon be added to the strikes of oil workers in France, writes Le Figaro. According to the newspaper, employees in many sectors of the French economy expressed the desire to take part in the action “for wages and the right to strike” on Tuesday, October 18. The newspaper stresses that the government and employers with their statements are only increasing the already explosive situation in the country.
Whether the fuel shortage in France will soon be joined by train stoppages and slowdowns in public services, Le Figaro wonders. Despite signing a wage increase agreement with two unions, the strike at three of the five refineries and at the five major TotalEnergies fuel depots has continued, the newspaper reports. At nuclear power plants, workers also did not stop striking. Over the weekend, the protest movement touched ten sites, forcing EDF to postpone the restart of five nuclear reactors.
The threat of further spread of this conflict is very real, according to the publication. Government statements on the unacceptability of continuing strikes, as well as the words of employers outraged by the “hostage-taking” of the French, are unlikely to cool down this explosive situation. In response to the first requisitions carried out by the government in an attempt to solve the problem of fuel shortages, the CGT union called for a general protest on October 18 “for wages and the right to strike.
As the paper notes, this time not only the CGT’s permanent allies responded to the call, but also the unions that usually remain on the sidelines. Another sign of the contagiousness of the movement is that sectors other than energy have also joined the struggle. Since last Thursday, dockworkers, as well as some civil servants and utility workers, have announced their participation in the strike. Truck drivers, “in solidarity with the ongoing struggle,” also warned that they would join the movement on Tuesday. Railroad workers have not ruled out taking part in the protest.
For her part, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Born, on Sunday night on TF1, asked the strikers to resume their work. She also announced an extension of the state fuel discount of 30 cents until mid-November.
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