PARIS, Sept 16 (Reuters) - France's CFDT trade union

said on Monday that it could join an ongoing strike by the CGT

union at ExxonMobil's ( XOM ) Port Jerome refinery as talks with

the company near a deadline.

So far, the strike action has been limited to chemical

workers after Exxon said it would shut down its steam cracker

and close chemical production at the site this year.

Exxon has two refineries in France that account for about

30% of the country's capacity. A spokesperson said the strikes

have not impacted its refining, despite a blockade in late June.

The closures at the facility will mean 608 employees losing

their jobs from 2025, the Exxon spokesperson told Reuters.

The end of information and consultation period for the

workforce support package is Sept. 20, so Exxon and the unions

need to reach an agreement by the end of the week, they added.

CFDT, one of France's largest unions, said in a statement it

was worried that working conditions would be significantly

degraded by the proposed changes.

"The CFDT currently does not rule out any action, including

legal action, to defend the interests of all employees, but

prefers to return to the negotiating table," it said.

The CFDT took part in strikes last year at French refineries

over President Emmanuel Macron's pension reforms, which saw

disruptions to fuel supplies across the country.