The strikers of Storengy, a subsidiary of Engie, have renewed their strike until the end of the week, while they demand wage increases to compensate for inflation, a subject discussed Monday afternoon at a new meeting with management, said the union.
This one fears “reprisals” for the striking employees, indicating to have assisted to “statements of bailiffs names”, while the executive indicated this weekend to fear a total cut of the Russian supplies, making more crucial than ever the objective of filling to “almost 100%” of the capacities of national gas storage by the beginning of the autumn.
“We have decided, if we don’t get a wage breakthrough, to block until the end of the week,” Frédéric Ben, CGT Engie union delegate, told AFP after a general meeting on Monday morning.
Sporadic slowdowns in storage operations occurred Monday morning at some sites, according to Ben. “It’s starting to heat up, the management has decided to make bailiff’s reports by name,” he added, fearing “reprisals” against the strikers.
A new meeting of negotiations was programmed according to him at 14:00, what confirmed the direction of Storengy, contacted by the AFP, without more precisions in the immediate future.
Strikers expect a wage increase
At a meeting on Friday, the inter-union, which is demanding a 15% increase for all employees, proposed an increase of 2.3% for all employees and 5% for low salaries, before a new increase of 5% in 2023, said Ben, according to which the management proposed Friday 2.3% increase for low salaries (200 employees out of 680), taking on the envelope of 2023.
Storengy explained that it had proposed a “travel bonus” for employees who had to travel to the sites, retroactive to January 1 (i.e. an average of 350 euros per year), and a “purchasing power” bonus representing 1.15% of annual salary for all employees.
This strike is part of a wider movement in the electricity and gas industries for wages, to which management responded by proposing an agreement that the four representative branch unions refused to sign on July 8. The employers proposed a 1% increase in the national basic wage and a 400 euro bonus.
