Strike action in France: Power cuts looming on horizon as workers at five French nuclear plants join walkout

Strike action has been extend at several French nuclear plants over wage hike and in protest against President Emmanuel Macron government’s use of its emergency powers to force workers back to their posts.

On Thursday, employees at the Gravelines nuclear power station joined the strike after unions pushed for the ‘generalization’ of industrial action.

Electricity trade union FNME said that the action over wage demands had spread to five of EDF’s nuclear plants.

“We respect the strike and it is a right given to the workers,” a spokesperson from operator EDF said, adding that any delays to the reactor restarts will be published on their website.

The strike expanded from action earlier at the Bugey site to include three Cruas reactors, two Tricastin and Cattenom reactors and a Gravelines reactor.

The nuclear employees, who are demanding a five percent increase in their salaries, have been staging rolling strikes on and off at French nuclear power plants for several weeks.

The developments will be further delaying maintenance works at the plants and could heighten the risk of power supply shortages as the French utility is struggling to get enough reactors back online for winter.

France will have to buy electricity on the market this winter or produce it from gas, and there is no guarantee that neighboring countries will be in a position to sell their electricity, CSE representative Philippe Page le Merour said. “If we have a normally cold or very cold winter, the situation will not be able to happen without massive load shedding, and the load shedding (contracts) will not be enough. ”

The developments come as a France’s leading union has rejected wage talks as “blackmail” following two weeks of strike action at refineries that has partially paralyzed the European country.

Massive rallies held in EU against Russia sanctions, soaring energy prices

Protests are held in some of the EU’s major capital cities against soaring inflation and the rising costs of living caused by sanctions imposed on Russia.

The industrial action at TotalEnergies, which coincides with strikes at two Exxon Mobil refineries in the country, follows similar protests held across the European Union against soaring inflation and the rising cost of living caused by sanctions imposed on Russia in the wake of the Ukraine war.

Over the weekend, thousands of protesters took to the streets in some of the EU’s major capital cities, calling on the authorities to take measures and lift Russian sanctions.

Prior to the conflict in Ukraine, Russia was the EU's largest gas supplier, responsible for about 45% of the bloc's gas imports.

However, Russia has scaled back the flow of gas to Europe recently, citing Western sanctions over the offensive in Ukraine.

Report: France sees biggest poverty increase in 30 years

A new report on poverty in France has revealed the devastating economic effects caused by Europe’s sanctions war on Russia. Multiple indicators have reached record lows, showing that their lower classes are worse off than in decades.

In France, gas pumps have been running dry as worker's strikes continue in the refineries of the major French oil companies. Some have called for an end to France's membership in the US-led NATO.

The protests and strikes have mounted pressure on the French government, which is already facing discontent among the public over inflation and a high cost of living.

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