Strikes continue at French oil refineries, storage sites

The strikes add to pressure on President Emmanuel Macron's government, which is already facing discontent among the public over inflation and higher household bills.

The union said it needed to internally discuss TotalEnergies' offer to start wage talks earlier than initially planned.
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The union said it needed to internally discuss TotalEnergies' offer to start wage talks earlier than initially planned.

The strikes that have hit French oil refineries and storage sites will continue, CGT trade union representatives at TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil's Esso France said.

"It will be continued across the board," said a CGT official on Monday at TotalEnergies, a day after the French company had offered to bring forward wage talks in an effort to end the labour dispute which has been dragging on for around two weeks.

The union said it needed to internally discuss TotalEnergies' offer to start wage talks earlier than initially planned.

Another CGT official said the walkouts would also continue at two Esso France refineries ahead of talks with management scheduled for later in the day.

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Problems in getting deliveries

"We still haven't got any confirmation that this meeting will be held," the union official said.

A spokeswoman for Esso France told Reuters the meeting will be held at the end of Monday morning and is set to include representatives from all four unions engaged at the company.

Almost a third of France's petrol stations had problems getting deliveries of at least one fuel product on Sunday, up from 21 percent the day, before according to the government.

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