French CGT union oil sector workers to join strike next week (updated)

North Atlantic Energies SA

13/05/2016 15:43

(Adds details, quotes and background) 
    PARIS, May 13 (Reuters) - Oil sector workers of French CGT 
union will join a national strike on May 17-20 against labour 
law reform, affecting operations at refineries across France and 
potentially disrupting supplies, a union official said on 
Friday. 
    The national strike was called after President Francois 
Hollande's Socialist government opted on Tuesday to force the 
unpopular labour market reforms through the lower house of 
parliament without a vote. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL5N1875AN 
    "What we have decided this morning is to launch a strike on 
all refineries in France from May 17 in the morning until midday 
on May 20," Thierry Defresne, CGT union official at Total 
 TOTF.PA , said. 
    Defresne said the strike will affect Exxon Mobil  XOM.N  and 
Esso  ESSF.PA  facilities, in additional to an ongoing strike at 
Total's 117,000 barrels-per-day Feyzin refinery. 
    A spokeswoman for Exxon Mobil said she was not aware of a 
planned strike at their refineries. Total was not immediately 
available to comment.  
    Workers at Total's 219,000 barrels per day Donges refinery 
near Nantes, will also join the strike, potentially disrupting 
fuel shipments in western France, another CGT official said. 
    Total has five refineries in France. 
    Defresne said CGT will call for a shutdown of production on 
all sites during a general assembly meeting on May 20, if the 
unions decide to increase pressure on the government. 
    CGT's dockers and port workers will also join the strike on 
May 17 and May 19, which could disrupt shipments of grain and 
other cargoes through the French ports. 
 
 (Reporting by Bate Felix and Michel Rose; Editing by Nerijus 
Adomaitis) 
 ((michel.rose@thomsonreuters.com; +33149495071; Reuters 
Messaging: michel.rose.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net; Twitter 
handle: @michelreuters)) 
 
Keywords: TOTAL STRIKE/SECTOR