Europe 1 with AFP 6:58 p.m., March 3, 2023

The General Confederation of Labor (CGT) announced on Friday March 3 that employees in the electricity and gas sectors are starting a renewable strike to demonstrate their opposition to the pension reform.

Decreases in electricity production have been observed in several nuclear power plants.

The renewable strike in energy began on Friday afternoon with cuts in electricity production in several nuclear power plants, "given the debate which opens in the Senate" on article 1 concerning the abolition of special regimes retirement, announced the CGT.

Under these conditions, "EDF agents of the nuclear power plants go on strike and lower the production of electricity this afternoon", indicated the CGT.

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No cuts for customers

The EDF website listed load drops in several power plants.

Those of Flamanville (Manche), Paluel (Seine-Maritime) and Saint-Alban (Isère) were affected by drops equivalent to a total of just over 1,000 MW, according to the EDF website, i.e. the power of a nuclear reactor, but the movement "aims to expand", according to the CGT.

"We have just called for generalization, including in hydraulics. It will be organized today, this evening and tomorrow Saturday," Sébastien Ménesplier, secretary general of CGT Energy, told AFP.

These reductions in production, closely supervised by the manager of the high and very high voltage line network RTE, generally do not lead to cuts for customers.

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"Put France to a halt"

This movement was initially to start Monday evening, with a view to putting "France at a standstill" on Tuesday.

But the examination by the Senate, expected from Friday evening or even Saturday, of article 1 of the pension reform project relating to the abolition of special regimes, including that of electricians and gas workers, has set fire to the powder.

The sector fears that this system will disappear and with it, in the long term, its protective status intended to compensate in particular for the time constraints of the profession.

The movement will last "at least until the 7th and at the most until the win", declared Mr. Ménesplier.

"If Emmanuel Macron does not want a France at a standstill and a dark week in energy, it would be better for him to withdraw his reform", he concluded.