THE INCURIA OF THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT FACING STRIKES - DayNewsWorld

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THE INCURIA OF THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT FACING STRIKES
The conflictual social climate escalates. The CGT announces this Thursday, October 13, 2022 the renewal of the strike on the two production sites of Esso-ExxonMobil, including that of Port-Jérôme, concerned by requisitions of personnel. The secretary general of the CGT believes that the use of requisitions of striking employees has “set fire to the powder”: “The fact that the government is making requisitions of employees at Esso-ExxonMobil has not helped to calm the social climate. ". Six of the seven refineries in mainland France are still on strike: the four from TotalEnergies and the two from Esso-ExxonMobil. Only that of Lavéra, of the Petroineos group, is not blocked. The government, which called on Tuesday for an "immediate" unblocking of the situation, Towards the requisition Elisabeth Borne ordered yesterday "the requisition of the personnel essential to the operation of the depots" of the Esso-Exxonmobil group in order to put an end to the fuel shortages. What the law says ? Pursuant to Article L2211-1 of the Defense Code, the State may order a requisition of persons or property "in the event of a threat relating in particular to a part of the territory, to a sector of national life or to a fraction Population ". In 2010, Nicolas Sarkozy had already ordered the requisition of refinery employees. Without winning the case, the mobilization could however be a long-term one. “The CGT Chemistry Federation is undoubtedly one of the most combative CGT federations. There is no significant social movement without there being militant trade unionists who are determined to organize the mobilization”, underlines the historian Stéphane Sirot. Philippe Martinez will propose a new day of strike next week Towards general mobilization ? And in fact the leader of the CGT affirms on BFMTV / RMC that the decision of an interprofessional call to strike will be taken during the day. “We are going to propose a new call for a strike in all public companies,” said Philippe Martinez this morning. This day of strike and demonstrations could be held on Tuesday, October 18, day of mobilization of vocational high schools. Mobilization has gained ground in refineries, but also in the nuclear industry. The movement, which has been going on at EDF since the end of September, is more discreet. At EDF, the mobilization extended Wednesday morning, at the call – as in oil – of the CGT (and FO). It now affects eight reactors in four nuclear power plants. Employees have indeed voted to strike in Cattenom, following the example of their colleagues from certain teams in Tricastin, Cruas and Bugey. In Gravelines, the employees voted to strike from October 13. However, the movement could have serious consequences for electricity production at the height of winter. The context is already tense: a dozen power plants are shut down because of a corrosion problem and the authorities, fearing cuts in the event of a cold winter, are calling on the French and companies to reduce their consumption of kilowatt hours. The impotence of the government Bruno Le Maire calls on the CGT to "clarify its position": "The blocking of the whole country is unacceptable". The Minister of Economy and Finance speaks directly to the CGT, the second union of the TotalEnergies group. “What does the CGT want ? salary negotiations ? It is acceptable. Blocking the whole country ? It is completely unacceptable,” said Bruno Le Maire on RTL. On the side of the government, it is incompetence and impotence for lack of intelligence.

Jenny Chase for DayNewsWorld