Three French Oil Refineries Prepare for Restart, Oil Ports Still Shut
Preliminary work got underway on Monday to restart three of Total's French oil refineries stopped as part of nationwide strikes against planned changes to employment laws, but workers were still on strike at the country's two main oil ports. Workers voted to end a strike at Grandpuits near Paris and preliminary work on resuming operations was underway there and at the Normandy refinery, as well as at the Feyzin refinery in the southern Rhone region, a Total spokesman said. Total operates five of the country's eight refineries. The Donges refinery on France's western coast was still blocked by about 30 members of the hardline CGT union, which is leading the campaign of stoppages and protests in the rail and energy sectors against the government's labour reforms.
Strike Could Disrupt Tanker Operations
Tanker operations at Fos and Lavera Fluxel oil terminal may be interrupted today, February 4, following the call by CGT (Confederation generale du travail - France's General Confederation of Labor) for terminal employees to stop work for one hour each end of their shift. The stoppage is subject to each working shift decision. from 1-2 p.m. from 9-10 p.m. from 5-6 a.m. French trade unions have also called for a 24-hour national strike from 6 a.m. on February 6 to 6 a.m. on February 7.
New Car Terminal at Marseilles Fos Port
Following a call for tenders in November last year, the Marseilles Fos port authority has chosen automotive logistics specialist TEA – part of the Charles Andre transport group - to develop and operate an import/export terminal for new cars at the Brule-Tabac quay in Fos. The decision was announced during a review of the port’s first five years under a revised management structure decreed by the French government in 2008. This established three governing bodies – the executive, supervisory and development boards – which are about to be renewed after completing their 2009-2013 terms of office.
