At TotalEnergies, a wage referendum reignites tensions with the unions.

TotalEnergies management organized an unprecedented internal referendum after wage negotiations with unions failed, causing significant social tension within the oil group. According to a survey published by Mediapart, The consultation allowed management to have its agreement validated directly by the employees despite the opposition of some of the trade union organizations.

The vote comes at a particularly sensitive time for TotalEnergies, as the group continues to post enormous profits linked to rising energy prices. Several unions are denouncing a strategy aimed at bypassing traditional intermediary bodies and accusing management of having exerted pressure on employees to secure approval of the agreement.

A method unprecedented in the oil group

The referendum was held after the failure of annual wage talks with the representative unions. Management had hoped for overwhelming approval to legitimize its proposal, but the results reportedly revealed more limited support than expected and lingering anger among some employees.

This procedure remains rare in large French companies. Several union representatives believe that it weakens their role in collective bargaining and paves the way for social dialogue more directly controlled by company management.

The debate over superprofits resurfaces

The affair has also reignited criticism surrounding TotalEnergies' record profits. For several months, various political parties and unions have been calling for increased taxation of the "superprofits" made by major energy companies in the context of international tensions in the oil markets.

The French government, however, continues to refuse to implement a permanent, exceptional tax on energy profits, preferring to rely on temporary mechanisms or voluntary commitments from fuel distributors. This position is regularly denounced by opponents of the current energy policy.