TotalEnergies Workers Embark On Strike In France Over Rising Fuel Costs

Service station attendants working for TotalEnergies in France, on Friday, embarked on a strike action to protest rising fuel costs, demanding a salary increase from the oil giant.

The workers said the surge in fuel prices has made it increasingly difficult for them to cope despite the company’s dominant presence in the country’s downstream sector, where it operates about a quarter of all service stations.

Last month, TotalEnergies announced plans to cap pump prices across mainland France to cushion the impact of rising oil prices on consumers, following a spike driven by tensions linked to the Iran war.

Speaking on French television station France 2, Sophie Binet, Secretary General of the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), said workers have received no support to manage the impact of higher fuel costs.

“Total’s employees are receiving no support to cope with this surge in fuel prices, and this needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency,” she said.

Binet also renewed calls for the French government to increase the national minimum wage.

However, a spokesperson for TotalEnergies downplayed the scale of the industrial action, stating that only seven stations, representing about four per cent of its outlets, were affected by the strike.

In a statement, the CGT, which represents workers in nearly 200 TotalEnergies service stations across France, demanded fuel cost relief for employees as well as salary adjustments, although it did not specify the proposed increase.

The strike comes at a busy travel period in France, with many families on the move as schools close for the spring holidays in parts of the country, including areas around Paris.

According to available data, France’s monthly minimum wage stands at about €1,800 gross and €1,450 net. However, workers say their average earnings of around €1,600 are no longer sufficient to meet rising living and commuting costs.

“With an average wage of around 1,600 euros, we can’t even afford to come to work anymore,” the workers’ statement said.