A production shutdown started on Sunday at PetroIneos’ 210,000-barrels-per-day Lavera oil refinery in southern France after CGT union workers voted to stop output as part of protests over pension reform, a union official said. Emmanuel Lepine, secretary-general of the CGT’s oil branch, told France Info radio on Sunday evening that CGT union workers at other refineries in France will vote on Monday whether to halt production at their plants. The CGT’s oil branch had warned on Friday it could step up strike action by stopping production, depending on the outcome of worker votes. “We gave an ultimatum to the government, it didn’t listen, so we’re doing exactly what we promised,” Lepine said. “What we are demanding is the withdrawal of the reform.” The hardline CGT union has been at the forefront of a two-week-old industrial action against a planned government reform of France’s pension system. […]