* Fearing shortages, motorists flock to gas stations
* Union says strike will hit production, fuel supplies
* French oil major Total says no impact on production (Adds comments from producers, context)
By Gerauds Obangome
LIBREVILLE, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Oil workers in Gabon began anopen-ended, industry-wide strike on Monday night after talkswith the government collapsed, union ONEP said, and long queuesformed at gas stations on Tuesday on fear of shortages.
The trade union had been in negotiations with authorities ofthe Central African country for several weeks, demanding thereinstatement of some workers who had been fired by oilcompanies, among other issues.
"The national bureau informs you of the start of anunlimited general strike in all oil sector companies and relatedactivities operating in the national territory from Monday Dec.1 at midnight," said a union statement addressed to the workersand seen by Reuters.
Gabon, a former OPEC member, pumps around 230,000 barrels ofoil per day. Sylvain Mayabi Bine, secretary general of theunion, said the strike affected oil production and fueldistribution as well as the oil services sector.
A spokesperson for the oil ministry denied that a strike wasplanned on Tuesday.
Total, one of the top producers in the formerFrench colony, said that there was no immediate impact on itsoutput. Producers Royal Dutch Shell and Sinopec's Addaxdid not immediately respond to requests for comment.
On Tuesday, long queues formed at petrol stations in thecapital as consumers scrambled to fill their cars and getreserves before the strike depleted supplies.
"I'm taking precautions. It is better to have 20 litres offuel at home in case things get bad," said a driver at a petrolstation in the capital, without giving his name.
ONEP, the umbrella union for the oil trade, represents amajority of its more than 5,000 workers. In a separate letter toGabon's prime minister, ONEP said it would return to talks onlyif the government met four demands.
They included the immediate suspension of some salarydeductions and the lifting of sanctions by oil firms Perenco andSTSI Boccard on some workers.
The union also called for the manager of STSI Boccard, whichis subcontracted by French oil giant Total, to beexpelled from the country, as well as the departure of thedirector general of Libya Oil Gabon. (Additional reporting by Emma Farge; Writing by Bate Felix;Editing by David Lewis and William Hardy)
