Motorists in France threaten to face shortages at petrol stations again. The CGT union, the largest among workers in the French petroleum industry, has called for strikes in January and February.

The union opposes the actions against the planned pension reform that the government wants to implement.

CGT is thinking, among other things, of shutting down refineries “if necessary”. The actions also threaten to hinder the transport of petrol or diesel, says Eric Sellini, union coordinator at oil group TotalEnergies.

The actions are scheduled for 19 and 26 January and 6 February. That first date is marked as a national strike day against the pension reform, organized by France’s eight largest trade unions. In the plans recently announced by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, the retirement age will be raised from 62 to 64 by 2030 to combat staff shortages.

Workers in the French oil industry went on strike for weeks last fall, causing major problems at gas stations. As a result, many gas station owners ran out of fuel. Dutch travellers were also victims. In October, the ANWB received hundreds of requests for help from stranded motorists in France.