French Strikes - Updates

[Cabin-boy]

As there is no single thread dedicated to the topic, I thought I'd create one now. Let's try and keep the posts to updates only rather than opinions and if anyone has maps of service stations that are either closed or open and/or other useful information please feel free to add a link.

The big national strike is due to start on Thursday this week but as a sort of 'amuse bouche' the refinery near Brest had been blockaded since Friday, stocks across Brittany are starting to run low and priority is being given to emergency vehicles. 

Ed. 

[colin]

Most refineries in the west have been blocked for several days and stocks have disappeared in panic buying. Very little available around St Malo!

This action is by building sector workers protesting against plans to cut reduced duty on diesel for their vehicles. Meeting with government today, so fingers crossed.

Thursday sees almost complete shutdown on railways (from Wednesday evening), Air France ground staff on strike (impact unknown), many local and regional bus and metro services not running. Police action (not yet seen detail). All these actions are by the main unions against the rationalisation of state retirement schemes. Currently all sorts of workers like train drivers, have packages a lot better than the standard.

[Eddies]

Are the strikes going to have any impact on the ports that BF, sail too, if so how can we find out the dates or updates to it. ??

[colin]

Watching closely as I am booked on Pont Aven out of St Malo on Thursday evening. I will post here any word I have from my news sources.

[Eddies]

I'm booked on Tat, Sunday. ;-((

[colin]

For now...... the strike action is only scheduled for Thursday. Barring escalation, you should be OK, he says, crossing fingers and toes.

[colin]

The protesters failed to block the Donges refinery near St Nazaire yesterday and the depot at Vern sur Seiche near Rennes was unblocked by 130 Gendarmes at 04:00 this morning. We anyway were able to get some fuel in Pleurtuit yesterday, and the situation should ease fairly quickly. No news yet about the Brest and Lorient blockages.

[The Ferry Man]

As mentioned in th updates page, the Portsmouth Le Havre sailings have been cancelled on Thursday

[colin]

And Portsmouth to St Malo overnight 4-5th replaced with morning sailing on the 5th. Screws me!!!!

[Cabin-boy]

From the 'sailing updates' page:

France fuel protest

As a result of blockades at refineries, there are fuel shortages and rationing at some service stations. As a precaution, we are advising customers to depart with enough fuel to reach their destination in France. However, please note that the carriage of petrol/diesel cans on board our ferries is limited to 5 litres per vehicle.

Ed

[Gardian]

There are indeed a number of service stations closed or pretty close to running dry.

It is however worth saying that normally (and I stress normally - no guarantees of course) motorway service stations will continue to operate.  This is for the obvious reason that you can’t have dozens of vehicles running out of fuel on the motorway network.

 

[Gareth]

15 minutes ago, Gardian said:

This is for the obvious reason that you can’t have dozens of vehicles running out of fuel on the motorway network.

 

Surprised the strikers are bothered about that!

[Cabin-boy]

The motorway service station between Angers and Nantes did apparently run dry yesterday for a while. That's not supposed to happen but there was an exceptional level of demand.  Ed.