INFOGRAPHICS – Renewable strikes continue in several key sectors (transport, energy, waste collection, etc.), even if we are far from a “France at a standstill“.
For the eighth day of mobilization against the pension reformWednesday, the renewable strikes continue in several key sectors (transport, energy, waste collection …), even if we are far from a “France at a standstill“. Entering the blockages late, the garbage collectors are very visible, especially in Paris where they intend to continue their movement “at least until March 20“. But they are running out of steam in the oil sector and transport. A refinery even lifted the strike near Marseille, according to the CGT.
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Very determined scavengers
The garbage collectors and cleaning agents of the City of Paris voted Tuesday to continue the strike, while some 7,000 tonnes of waste are already piling up in the streets of the capital. The Minister of the Interior has asked the town hall to requisition garbage collectors.
The most affected sectors are the ten arrondists whose collection is ensured by the agents of the town hall. But, even in those managed by private service providers, collection is disrupted due to the unavailability of the three incineration plants: those of Ivry-sur-Seine and Issy-les-Moulineaux are blocked by the strike and that of Saint-Ouen is undergoing maintenance.
Collection was also disrupted on Tuesday in Rennes, Rouen, Saint-Brieuc, Nantes, as well as in Seine-Maritime.
Electricians and gas producers less mobilized
The electricity sector remains highly mobilized given the crucial issue for electricians and gas operators, who, in addition to the decline in the legal age, fear the abolition of their special pension scheme. But as in the parades, the number of strikers is down significantly: less than a quarter of EDF employees (22.45%) stopped work at midday, according to management. This participation is in very sharp decline compared to the previous day of mobilization during the week, March 7, during which the management had reported 41.5% of strikers at midday compared to the total workforce of the business.
On the gas side, the four French LNG terminals have voted to renew their strike action until the beginning of next week and all of Storengy’s gas storage sites should be occupied and on strike.at least until the end of the week“, according to CGT Energy, without consequences at this stage for customers.
Refineries are marking time
Several French refineries are still on strike on Wednesday morning: “in those of Donges, La Mède and Fos, the movement is renewed with a halt to expeditions“, told AFP Eric Sellini, CGT coordinator for the sector. “On that of Normandy, the employees are still on strike but there are shipments” and at the Petroineos refinery in Lavera, “the employees are not on strike this morning and the shipments will resume“, he specified.
For several days, the oil unions have been proposing to the refinery strikers to harden the movement by stopping production, but the latter are reluctant to begin these technically delicate and long operations.
Fewer difficulties also in transport
At the SNCF, traffic remains disrupted and traffic on Wednesday will be similar to that of Monday and Tuesday, with in particular 3 TGV Inoui and Ouigo out of 5, 1 Intercités out of 3, no night train and 2 TER out of 5 on national average and difficulties in Ile-de-France. On March 7, 80% of TGVs had been cancelled.
The RATP forecasts overall much better traffic than during the first days of strikes
Cancellations in the air thus promise to be fewer than last week, when they had affected, in addition to the Parisian platforms of Orly and Roissy, airports in the region. The General Directorate of Civil Aviation (DGAC) asked airlines to cancel 20% of their flights at Paris-Orly on Wednesday due to a strike by air traffic controllers.
Lockdowns are also in place in the country. Drivers completely blocked Wednesday all access to the A26 motorway, in the North, between Calais and Thérouanne. A few dozen demonstrators prevented early Wednesday entry to the headquarters of the shipping company CMA-CGM in Marseille.
Collapse in the civil service
The rate of strikers mobilized on Wednesday against the pension reform fell to less than 3% in the state civil service at midday, against nearly 25% during the big day of mobilization on March 7, according to the ministry. of the Public Service.
In the territorial public service (2 million agents, against 2.5 million agents in the State), the rate of strikers also fell, from 11% on March 7 to 2.2% on Wednesday. In the hospital side (1.2 million agents), only 4.5% of agents are on strike Wednesday at midday against 9.4% on March 7.