French PM orders prefects to requisition personnel at some sites to ease petrol supply crisis

PARIS (Reuters) - French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said on Tuesday she had ordered local prefects to requisition some staff needed to ensure petrol supply to the country's service stations as France struggles with strikes at refineries and storage facilities.

"We want this situation to change fast," said Elisabeth Borne, adding that the government was prepared to take further action if needed.

Referring to Exxon Mobil's local unit Esso France, where management has offered a 6.5% pay rise next year, Borne said the strike needed to end immediately, adding it was "unacceptable" to block the whole country.

"I have therefore asked the prefects, as permitted by law, to requisition the personnel needed to the functioning of the company's depots", Borne said in the lower houses of parliament.

Borne did not announce similar action with regard to the situation at TotalEnergies, where some sites are also affected by strikes, but urged the unions behind the walkouts to "take the hand the company has reached out to them."

(Reporting by Tassilo Hummel,; Editing by Dominique Vidalon)