Workers at Total SA's (TOT) refineries in France began a strike over the weekend to demand higher pay, the CGT union said Monday.

Refinery employees consider the pay rises offered by the French oil company of between 1.2% and 1.5% as too low given the company's "fabulous" profits, the union, which represents 30% of refinery workers, said in a statement.

Workers at five refineries operated by Total in France , as well as three other petrochemical facilities, walked out over the weekend, CGT said. Operations are gradually being scaled down at the facilities, Eric Sellini, a CGT union representative for the company, told The Wall Street Journal.

Total, however, said that so far only 20% of workers at two refineries, Normandy and La Mede, have walked out and industrial action at other plants is very limited.

"Negotiations started Friday evening and early this morning, unions were offered a higher pay rise," a company spokeswoman said Monday.

She said workers were offered a 2.7% salary increase, adding that some employees, such as technicians, have been offered an additional 0.8% rise linked to their seniority.

The CGC-CFE union, which represents 25% of refinery workers, has already accepted the offer, while CFDT, which represents 28% of employees, is consulting its members. The unions have until Tuesday 1600GMT to make a decision over the offer made by the company.

Company officials have repeatedly said Total's refining business in Europe is less profitable than its other operations.

Total has been cutting its refining capacity in Europe over the past couple of years, as demand has dwindled due to weak economic growth and strong competition from rivals in Asia , the Middle East and North America . The company's chief executive, Christophe de Margerie, has said the company will likely close more plants in the near term.

The amount of oil processed by European refiners in September fell to its lowest level since April 1991, according to a report published by the International Energy Agency earlier this month.
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