ECONOMY Total on Thursday announced a restructuring of its refinery in Martigues. It will now be turned to biofuels …
Total announced Thursday at a central works council (CEC) in Paris a radical restructuring of its refinery in La Mede, Martigues. As announced several weeks ago, the site was built in the 30s, will process more crude oil but oils (palm, recovery …) for the diesel. The group has promised to invest 200 million euros to adapt industrial equipment. This will be the first refinery in France to produce biofuels.
The bad news now. Total also announced at the CEC deleting 180 positions out of 450. But there will be no redundancies, said Thursday the management. “There will be retirement, early retirement and early retirement. It is also planned mobility to other group sites, as well as aids to business creation and conversion, “explains François Wioland, Managing CFE-CGC.
After official announcement of the restructuring plan, the CGT immediately launched a strike on the site, blocking some of the “expeditions”. “178 job cuts [management in ad 180] is unacceptable and an investment of 200 million euros, it sounds important, but in the industry, we do not do much, and certainly not a project perennial industrial, “said Rachid Medhi, a representative of the CGT.
In contrast, Workers Power did not join the movement. Neither CFE-CGC, which rather sees this project as an opportunity. “We regret course job cuts but our first goal is to push management to propose a viable project, explains François Wioland. With the demand grows, the biofuels industry will certainly increase in volume. We want to believe that this is a new beginning. “
The CFE-CGC has requested the appointment of an independent expert to examine the economic viability of the refinery conversion project. It should be named in two or three weeks. “If prospects are confirmed, this site will be the future, says François Wioland. We are at the heart of an industrial area that has value. This should remain so. Do not become just a tourist land. “
The technological risk prevention plan suspended
A few hours after the official announcement of the restructuring plan of the refinery at La Mede, the regional prefect, Michel Cadot, was suspended for six months the application of technological risk prevention plan (PPRTs) in the communes of Châteauneuf-les-Martigues and Martigues. The PPRTs would result in expropriations and forced the inhabitants to heavy protection work from their homes, triggering protests by residents of the industrial area. “The prefect asked the Total group to transmit, within six months, a complete file to define the proposed changes, especially on the basis of risk assessments associated,” said a statement from the prefecture.
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