France braces for more fuel shortages as union votes to extend strikes

TotalEnergies workers extend stoppages in row over pay, with transport workers joining movement

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, is facing the biggest challenge of his second term as long-running oil depot and refinery blockades create fuel shortages, transport workers join the strike for higher wages and the government prepares to force its budget through parliament without a vote, unable to find a compromise with the opposition.

The leftwing CGT union on Tuesday voted to extend stoppages at several oil refineries and depots operated by the French energy giant TotalEnergies, as they demanded an immediate 10% pay rise to counter the cost of living crisis and a share of companies' profits amid the surge in energy prices heightened by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.