Road and air travel disrupted
Blockages at Total petrol stations are planned for Thursday and an air traffic controllers’ strike starts the same day
DISRUPTION is on the way for both drivers and air passengers as blockages are planned at petrol stations and air traffic controllers go on strike.
The CGT union is planning to block access to Total service stations on Thursday in protest at job losses at the La Mède oil refinery in the Bouches-du-Rhône.
It plans to renew the protest action every Thursday until Total changes its mind over plans to end its crude oil refining activity at the site by the end of next year.
This comes as an air traffic controllers strike is also planned for Thursday July 2, as well as Friday July 3 – although plans for strikes today and tomorrow were called off. At the last strike, in April, the civil aviation authority DGAC asked airlines to cut 40% of flights though it is not yet known how many will be affected this time.
The closure of crude oil refining at the La Mède site is expected to mean the loss of 180 jobs out of 450, as part of a changeover to producing biofuels. However, the CGT says total jobs lost including indirect spin-off jobs would total about 1,000, which it says is “inconceivable”.
It says the plan is also bad for France because it would mean having to import more refined oil products. At present France has a production of 55.2 million tonnes for requirements of 75.5 million, the union says.
The CGT is also calling on strikes across French oil refineries on Thursday. A union spokesman said its aim is to make the Total leadership “less deaf” to considering alternatives for the future of the La Mède site.
As for the strikes at airports, it is the largest union in the sector, SNCTA, which is concerned, with disruptions expected at Orly and at Roissy Charles de Gaulle.
The strike is over pay and working conditions.
Air France passengers whose flights are cancelled as a result should be alerted to this by text, otherwise you can consult the site of the Paris airports for updates at: Aeroports de Paris.
Note that, regardless of rights under any travel insurance you may have taken out, or specific policies of airlines, air travellers in Europe have certain minimum rights in the case of cancellations. More details are here: EU air passenger rights.
Photo: Richard Villalon - Fotolia.com.jpg
