
[6/6] French energy workers on strike gather with dockers to protest against French government's pension reform plan, in the port of Saint-Nazaire, France, January 26, 2023.
The company said on Thursday shipments were blocked at La Mede, Donges, Normandy and Dunkirk, but added it continued to make sure petrol stations were supplied. It added its refinery site at Feyzin was not affected.
Comment: It remains to be seen whether supplies will be interrupted, because strikes just a month or so ago caused shortages in some regions, as well as long queues and panic buying.
A CGT union representative for TotalEnergies said strike participation across French sites was around 60%.
Comment: France's protests aren't solely about the raising of the retirement age, because over the past few months much of Europe has seen a surge of strike action and protests, across various industries and professions, and in record numbers - with two of the more recent events recording well over a 100,000 people in Spain, and 1 million-plus protesters in France. And it's likely that this is just the beginning of the societal upheaval; which makes other related incidents, such as the terror attacks in Spain, all the more suspect: In one day: Machete-wielding 'terrorist' storms churches in southern Spain; Pensioner 'terrorist' arrested for sending letter-bomb to Spanish PM