Indeed, as January 31 approaches, CGT Petroleum has decided to toughen the tone: CGT Ports, Docks, Refineries and Energy carried out a measure on Thursday January 26 for forty-eight hours, and announced a new seventy-two-hour mobilization on February 6.
In TotalEnergies, CGT reported on Thursday morning 100% FW at the Flanders (North) depot, 80% at the Normandy refinery, almost 100% at the bio-Lamide refinery (Bouches-du-Rhône), 50 to 70% at the Donges refinery (Loire-Atlantique). ) and 30% at the Grandpuits site (Seine-et-Marne), which is undergoing conversion and no longer charges fuel.
At most refineries, “product shipments have stopped today,” the group stressed that it continues to “guarantee supplies” to service stations and customers. In the packing list there are also “positive” Robin Hood-style measures, such as free energy for example, in order to counterbalance the criticism leveled after the announcement of “targeted cuts”, in particular against elected officials.
“Don’t panic”
But if this strike against pension reform is going to have an undeniable effect, it’s not necessary (yet) to rush to your gas station to fill up. Because even if deliveries from refineries are interrupted or “flow drops,” “service station stocks are full, French warehouses are full,” he asserts. at BFMTV microphone Francis Boss, Head of Service Stations and New Energies at Mobilians. “The rush to the pump will force up inventories more quickly and that’s when we’ll struggle,” he warns.
Last week, the motto was the same as during the professional mobilization on January 19: “Don’t panic,” emphasized Patrick Pouyanne. Stocks are full and service stations are well stocked […] Some people want to make precautionary purchases, but these precautionary purchases are dangerous, and could put the system under unnecessary stress, the Total Energies president explained.
On the other hand, if the movement in the refineries continues for several days as in October 2022, a shortage may indeed occur. Eric Cellini, director of CGT at TotalÉnergies, warned that “equities could pretty much absorb” the first hit for twenty-four hours, but “some motorway stations could shut down”.
On the morning of January 19, less than 2% of French service stations were running short of petrol or diesel.