The Prime Minister announced the requisition of personnel to unblock fuel depots and called on companies and employees to negotiate.
Maximum pressure. Failing to have succeeded in stemming the strike movement in the fuel depots, the government is hardening its tone. The day after a meeting on the fuel crisis convened by Élisabeth Borne at Matignon, at the urging of Emmanuel Macron, the executive took out the card directly “requisition”without waiting for new negotiations between the management and the striking employees.
“Social dialogue means moving forward once a majority has emerged. These are not minimum agreements. Management announcements are significant. Therefore, I asked the prefects to initiate, as permitted by law, the procedure for requisitioning the personnel essential to the operation of the depots of this company., decided the Prime Minister during the session of questions to the government at the National Assembly. The measure concerns ExxonMobil, where negotiations have succeeded, but not yet TotalEnergies. Elisabeth Borne has also called on the management and employees of the latter company to engage in wage negotiations, failing which the requisitions could also apply.
arm wrestling
As of Tuesday morning, the government spokesman, Olivier Véran, had called for “that all blockages be lifted without delay”. And threatened in the wake of “requisition the appropriate personnel to be able to allow the situation to normalize”. The renewal of the strike by the CGT and FO at Esso-ExxonMobil and by the CGT at TotalEnergies left him no choice. Especially since the government feels in a position of strength in the face of this movement, which is causing great discontent in the population. No offense to Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s Insoumis, who supported the strikers.
Like LFI deputy Clémentine Autain, who expressed her “solidarity for the refineries which are on strike”. Hoping to strengthen the mobilization for his march against the high cost of living next Sunday by coagulating social anger, Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s troops have joined the wheel of the strikers. At the risk of alienating the French angry at the movement, while some of them could have joined the protest.
Only here, the troops of Jean-Luc Mélenchon wanted to see in the rejection of the strike only a movement of mood of privileged rather than the concern of employees unable to exercise their work. “The panic of the bourgeoisie is total”, thus tweeted the deputy LFI Antoine Léaument when the scenario of the requisitions was evoked. By activating it, Elisabeth Borne is convinced that she has public opinion behind her. Especially since TotalEnergies revealed the amount of the average salary of employees in refineries, bonuses and profit-sharing included: 5,000 euros. Is well beyond the average salary of the French, 2340 euros net per month according to INSEE. “As soon as Total makes the salaries public, it’s over. When the French discover these amounts, it will be hard to get public opinion on board”, we are assured within the executive. This does not take into account the nervousness caused by the queues at the entrance to service stations, when they are open, or the price increases caused by the crisis.
For the time being, the government therefore has public opinion behind it. But on condition of then succeeding in winning the standoff with the unions of the refineries. This supposes, beyond the requisitions, to succeed in lifting the blockages. And therefore to find an agreement in the refineries.
SEE ALSO – Fuel shortage: Bruno Le Maire threatens to resort to the requisitions of the strikers
“Claims are legitimate, but it must not go through the blocking of the country, assures a minister of weight. Everyone must hear the difficulty this creates for our fellow citizens. You have to take a responsible path. Lots of other sectors are engaging in negotiations that are moving forward without blocking the country. There is no need to add difficulties to the anxieties encountered by our fellow citizens. » which are already numerous.