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French utility workers extend strikes

French electricity and gas workers continued anti-privatization strikes on Wednesday, cutting Electricite de France output by 3,000 megawatts and blocking Gaz de France's terminals and storage facilities, the leading CGT union said.
/ Source: Reuters

French electricity and gas workers continued anti-privatization strikes on Wednesday, cutting Electricite de France output by 3,000 megawatts and blocking Gaz de France's terminals and storage facilities, the leading CGT union said.

A CGT spokesman said workers, who on Tuesday achieved their largest strike hits so far by cutting up to 15,000 MW or about 15 percent of EDF's generation capacity, may continue the industrial action until July 14.

An EDF spokesman, who said Tuesday's strike cut a maximum of 13,000 megawatts, could not immediately comment on Wednesday's impact.

"We have issued a strike warning for up till July 14, and the workers may decide to continue their strikes and power reductions until then," the union spokesman said.

The extent of current and future strike action will be decided regionally.

It is unlikely to reach the level of Tuesday's national strike, which was planned to coincide with the start of a parliamentary debate on a bill to change the utilities into limited liability companies, a key step before privatization.

The CGT spokesman said there were cuts in output at EDF's Saint Laurent, Nogent, Chinon, Cruas, and Golfech nuclear power plants, as well as some oil-and coal-fired and hydropower plants.

Workers were also on strike at GDF's liquefied natural gas import terminals at Montoir and Fos and have also blocked the supplies from five storage facilities from being injected into the national grid, he added.

A GDF spokeswoman could not immediately comment on Wednesday's strike impact.

She said Tuesday's actions had reduced deliveries at the two liquefied natural gas terminals and some storage facilities into the transport network but had no impact on the grid.