Strikers against pension reform plan suspend fuel deliveries across France

People participate in a demonstration against the government's controversial pension reform plan in Lille, northern France, on Jan. 31, 2023. (Photo by Sebastien Courdji/Xinhua)

French unions have called on workers to "bring France to a halt in all sectors on March 7" in order to protest against the long-disputed pension reform.

PARIS, March 7 (Xinhua) -- Fuel shipments are suspended in all refineries across France on Tuesday as a nationwide strike was mobilized against the government pension reform plan, but fuel suppliers excluded severe impact on service stations.

"The strike started everywhere ... with shipments blocked at the exit of all the refineries this morning," France's largest union the General Confederation of Labour was cited by the French daily Le Figaro on Tuesday.

However, Frederic Plan, general delegate of the French Federation of Fuels and Heating, told the French radio FranceInfo in the morning that the block of fuel deliveries from refineries would not have a severe impact on service stations.

He said the energy management had prepared for this kind of situation with strategic stocks.

A temporarily closed Total Energies gas station is seen in Paris, France, Oct. 6, 2022. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

"We confirm that there is no lack of fuel in our stations. In addition, stocks in depots and service stations are at a high level," France's largest fuel company Total Energies also said on Tuesday, assuring that its teams were mobilized to meet an as-usual or even surplus demand.

Main French unions have called on workers to "bring France to a halt in all sectors on March 7" in order to protest against the long-disputed pension reform.

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne laid out details of the pension reform plan in January, which would progressively raise the legal retirement age by three months a year from 62 to 64 by 2030, and introduce a guaranteed minimum pension.

Under the plan, it would require at least 43 years of work to be eligible for a full pension starting in 2027.

A man participates in a protest against the government's proposed pension reforms in Paris, France, on Feb. 7, 2023. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)