Road freight movements in France are being hit this week by a fuel crisis that has almost emptied a quarter of the country’s 12,000 fuelling stations. According to a Reuters report, oil workers at Total have shutdown output at three of its five refineries in France and deliveries from a fourth have been blockaded by protesters. Three out of nine oil depots have also been blockaded according to Reuters. There are a total of eight refineries in the country.
Exxon Mobile said its two refineries had not been affected but Reuters reported that striking workers had blockaded the oil terminal at Fos-sur-Mer in southern France. Later reports from the BBC website say that all refineries in the country have been affected.
The workers, led by the hardline CGT and FO unions, are protesting at moves by the government of President Francois Hollande to introduce a new bill deregulating the labour market.
Those protests build on the disruption caused last week across all transport modes by strike action in protest at the new labour bill.https://automotivelogistics.media/news/transport-strike-to-hit-all-modes-across-france
So far OEMs and transport providers to the automotive industry in France have been largely reserved in their comments on the impact the ongoing protests are having on their business.
Renault-Nissan said it would not comment on the situation but a spokesperson for French carmaker, PSA Peugeot-Citroën, told Automotive Logistics that it was not facing any disruptions that could prevent its factories from operating and did not see particular problems “on a short term basis”.
More details are expected as the crisis deepens, stay posted for updates here
