Americans visiting France this week are being advised not to rent a car because the nation is running out of fuel.
A tense standoff over member pay has been going on for the past two weeks between the French trade union General Confederation of Labor and the oil companies TotalEnergies and Esso-ExxonMobil.
More than a quarter of gas stations currently lack at least one type of fuel, and 19% are completely empty as a result of dozens of workers at multiple oil refineries controlled by multinationals staging walkouts, blockading several plants, and disrupting gasoline supplies.
The impasse has become so heated that the French government intervened Wednesday, imposing emergency powers in an effort to order employees back to their workplaces.
According to the government, the recall of vital petroleum employees at the Normandy refinery at Notre-Dame-de-Gravenchon, which is under blockade, will start on Wednesday.
Though there are worries that the action would encourage other industries to join the strike in support of the striking fuel workers, it runs the risk of escalating the problem.
The British Automobile Association claimed Wednesday afternoon that as of noon, 2,093 of France's more than 11,100 gas stations were completely out of petrol and 1,101 had run out of one sort of fuel.
According to reports, long lineups are forming outside gas stations around the country as irate drivers attempt to fill up before the country's fuel supply runs out.
In the next days, travelers who intend to drive in France were advised to refuel before entering the nation (if possible).
Additionally, they are recommended to utilize eco-driving strategies including reducing their speed and inflating their tires (more below).
When might the strikes end?
How soon the General Confederation of Labor, TotalEnergies, and Esso-ExxonMobil can get down and negotiate an agreement will determine when the strike ends.
Workers at refineries and fuel depots owned by TotalEnergies and Esso-ExxonMobil went on strike two weeks ago over salary.
They have erected blockades at a number of refineries, shutting down more than 60%, or 740,000 barrels per day, of France's refining capacity.
As Europe struggles with one of the biggest cost-of-living crises in decades, union leaders are calling for salary hikes to help employees cope with skyrocketing inflation.
As one of the largest energy conglomerates in the world, TotalEnergies, agreed to move salary negotiations forward in exchange for workers returning to work on Sunday, there were optimism that the issue would end.
However, the union declined, calling management's actions "blackmail."
The French government has promised motorists that it is doing everything possible to strike an agreement with fuel unions in an effort to stop a run on the country's gas pumps.
President Emmanuel Macron said the following while visiting the western French region of Mayenne: "The talks are proceeding as planned.
I'm hoping that this may be settled as quickly as possible, within the next few hours.
Blocking is not a negotiation tactic."
Then, unexpectedly, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne declared a decision to requisition employees managing gas stations for Esso, a French subsidiary of ExxonMobil, and threatened to do the same for employees of the TotalEnergies company if a deal was not made promptly.
She made the demand without providing a deadline.
She added: "I urged prefects to initiate the procedure to requisition individuals who are vital to the functioning [of the Esso gasoline stations], because a salary issue does not justify halting the country."
In response, the union labeled the proposals as "aggressive" and put a halt to all existing talks with the government and companies.
TotalEnergies has responded by stating that it will offer to hold initial talks with unions who are not participating in the strikes.
It went on to say that the General Confederation of Labor union would only be "welcome" at the table if the walkouts would stop.
It was "blackmail," according to the union.
How can I drive more economically in France?
The Automobile Association of the United Kingdom suggests several crucial methods for conserving fuel when driving.
They consist of:
• Maintain the speed limit while driving in high gear.
• Avoid using the heating or air conditioning.
• Ensure that tires are inflated to the correct pressure.
• If your vehicle has it, always use the cruise control.
• Lighten the burden on the automobile.
• To avoid braking and accelerating as much, give the vehicle in front greater space.
According to the AA, such methods can easily save the equivalent of 38 cents per gallon.
The group also cautioned motorists that a full tank will typically last 350 miles.
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