No Help from the French

[LTVibe]

AP
Strike Disrupts Output at Total Refineries
Wednesday September 7, 8:49 am ET
Strike Disrupts Output at Five of Total's Six French Oil Refineries


PARIS (AP) -- French oil company Total SA said Wednesday a strike called after four refinery workers were disciplined was disrupting output at five of its six French oil refineries.
The strike is disrupting production at Total's Normandy, Donges, Feyzin and Grandpuits refineries, at a time when Europe's largest refiner has committed to ship more gasoline to the United States to help offset outages caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Speaking at a news conference, Total Chairman Thierry Desmarest called the strike action "disproportionate."

The Communist-linked CGT, France's second-largest labor union, said it called the strike in protest against sanctions the company imposed on four employees after an incident at a refinery in Provence, southern France.

"We can't accept seeing Total putting all the blame on workers," CGT delegate Alain Gerbeaud said. "The management also bears responsibility for what happened."

An incident occurred at the Provence refinery Aug. 7, causing a mist of diesel fuel to rain down on neighboring land and houses.

The Total chairman said a company investigation had concluded that four workers were guilty of "gross misconduct."

In May, Total employees also staged a one-week strike over pay at five refineries.


(Even though the above strike ended, another strike was started Sept. 20 and continues:

http://ogj.pennnet.com/articles/article_display.cfm?Section=ONART&C=Prong&ARTICLE_ID=237583&p=7 )

 

[Pablo]

sacre bleu - raining zee deezel and no matcheez!

 

[Sam3]

?? I thought the French were in deep dodo because they were helping "US" ??

But I'm young and could be wrong. .

 

[MarkC]

We must not abuse the French so much. Think of it. They(back when they were called Franks)stopped the Islamic incursion from Spain. For centuries, they were the big dogs in Europe. Then along come the pesky English, the Hundred Years War,The Revolution, the winter campaign into Russia,the list goes on. The poor guys haven't really won anything since they rebuffed Kaiser at the Marne. Give them a break, we'll be in their shoes some day too.

 

[obbop]

Dodo is extinct.

Sailors visiting the island the ground-dwelling bird resided upon caught, killed and ate the critters until they were extinct.

It's possible they squeezed the critters until oils and fats dripped out and those products may have been used to lubricate winches, pullys, etc.

 

[Sam3]

I was thinking of the Gasoline that they are sending to us. I'll look-up the links you ask.

 

[Sam3]

I'm saying that the price of Gasoline in france would be less, ok, IF THEY weren't sending 200,000 BPD to us> K?

 

[LTVibe]

I think my topic headline may have been a bit too vague. I believe the majority of average French citizens like America and want to help us when we need it. And as Sam3 said, they are willing to send us more gas even if it means they will pay more for their own supplies.

However, there are in France (and throughout Europe) certain influential groups that do not like America. Notice the third paragraph in the AP article:

"The Communist-linked CGT, France's second-largest labor union..."

I doubt that group wants to help us. They probably would like to make our problems worse!

 

[Pablo]

no matcheez! a crying shame!

 

[Ron Jeremy]

"The Communist-linked CGT, France's second-largest labor union..."

Aren't they all "Communist linked"? That's a rhetorical question, BTW.

 

[Starbreaker666]

Are the French surendering again? I did not read the article.