-
Paris announces date for river Seine to open for swimmers
Three natural swimming pools will open this summer along the river
-
French iPhone users bring group action against Apple for ‘spying on them via Siri’
People can add their name to the case if they believe their device is implicated
-
More French communes end home bin collections
Authorities claim the system is more eco-friendly but many residents are strongly opposed
French fuel shortages: are motorway service stations prioritised?
Workers at three refineries return to work and supplies are improving - but the CGT union has called for two further days of national mobilisation

French motorway companies have assured people heading on Toussaint holiday breaks that motorway service stations are being prioritised for fuel deliveries. Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne says that people can set off “with confidence”.
Read more: PM gives reassurances on fuel ahead of half term holidays in France
Over 90% of service stations are expected to be stocked normally by this evening (October 21), and Energy Transition Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher has said that their reserves will be filled up “as a priority”.
“Lorry tankers [...] will be mobilised to ease [the pressure on] logistical systems in the areas under most strain,” she added.
Ms Pannier-Runacher and Transport Minister Clément Beaune have also asked departmental prefectures to stop rationing fuel at local petrol stations.
Frédéric Plan of the Fédération française des combustibles, carburants et chauffage, which represents fuel distributors, has said that “the weekend [...] will pass in a calm manner [...] there will be less risk of coming across dry pumps because service stations must, contractually, be supplied as a priority.”
#Carburants | 🔴 Avec @AgnesRunacher, nous prenons des mesures pour un départ en vacances dans les meilleures conditions, notamment ⛽️⤵️
— Clément Beaune (@CBeaune) October 21, 2022
👉🏻 livraison prioritaire des stations-services sur les autoroutes et routes nationales les plus fréquentées
👉🏻 fin des arrêtés de rationnement pic.twitter.com/0TcU1Vczhj
Union calls for two more national strike days
The CGT union has called for two further days of cross-sector, nationwide strike action on October 27 and November 10, after a first day of action on Tuesday (October 18) saw 300,000 people participate.
This is according to CGT figures, although the interior ministry put the total at 107,000.
The additional strike days would involve demands for pay rises for people working across different industries.
Union secretary Céline Verzeletti said that Tuesday’s strike shows that “there is a dynamic” and that “we do not want to give up”.
Strikes over pay are continuing today at two TotalEnergies refineries – in Feyzin and Gonfreville – while three others have lifted their strike action.
Read more: Fuel supplies improve in France, strike lifts in three refineries
Related articles
French fuel shortage: How to check stocks at your local petrol station
Fuel supplies improve in France, strike lifts in three refineries