French energy workers expected to strike

France’s energy sector workers are expected to strike today.

Unionised workers, led by the FNME-CGT (France’s primary energy union), are demanding higher wages and improved working conditions. This protest will most likely impact power production across France.

The strike notice, issued on the 7 June, outlined a period of striking from today until 13 September. This doesn’t mean there’ll be power outages over the following months. However, power outages could be problematic, with 5 weeks before the 2024 Paris Olympic opening ceremony at the Stade de France and the hotly anticipated early French Parliamentary elections scheduled to start on 30 June.

During this strike period, expect to see non-essential power voluntarily reduced. Decreased traffic signal usage will impact transport across France. Furthermore, blackouts are possible for essential services such as telecommunications, petrol stations, ATMs as well as other financial services. If France experiences a heat-wave similar to the 2023 one, power supply could be diminished further, only increasing the chances of more deaths. Finally, security and preparations for the first fully attended Olympics post-Covid could be seriously hampered by strikes, again putting more lives at risk.