Around 20 percent of petrol stations in France were dealing with fuel shortages on Saturday, amid an ongoing strike in the country's energy sector. Strikes by workers at TotalEnergies and ExxonMobil — mainly over pay — have disrupted major storage facilities and refineries, impacting around 60 percent of France's output. France's energy minister has tried to calm nerves, but there are frustrations among drivers who have had to wait in line for hours at some petrol stations. Unions say they are willing to begin negotiations next week. "The government is doing its utmost to restore the situation to normal as soon as possible," Energy Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said in a statement on Saturday. "A solution to this conflict must be found as soon as possible," he added. One of those waiting in line at a petrol station near Paris was Terry Caboste, a metal worker. "I woke up at 4:00 a.m. to get gas and now it's going to be about 4 hours [that I have waited] if there's gas at 8 a.m.," he said. Gilles Albou, a pensioner waiting in the same line, described his frustration at the situation: "I don't understand, I don't understand. It's difficult for me to understand why we end up in such situations?" France's Minister of Transport Clement Beaune said that there was no problem with supply in France on Saturday. He said shortages are a "localized phenomena, related to social movements", while urging companies and trade unions to act with "responsibility". The CGT union representing the workers said it was willing to enter talks after the weekend. "We are ready to start negotiations on Monday based on our wage claim alone," wrote Eric Sellini, a CGT coordinator at TotalEnergies. The union called for a 10 percent increase in salaries in 2022, with 7 percent of that meant to match inflation and another 3 percent for wealth sharing. — Euronews
