Louvre Workers Announce Strike Over Working Conditions and Security Concerns
Louvre Museum staff plan to strike starting December 15, citing deteriorating working conditions, security issues highlighted by a recent heist, and a ticket price increase for non-European visitors.
Employees at Paris's Louvre Museum have voted to commence a strike on December 15, protesting deteriorating working conditions, security vulnerabilities, and a planned ticket price increase for non-European visitors. This decision follows the October 19 theft of France's Crown Jewels, valued at approximately €88 million, which exposed significant security lapses. The heist, executed in under eight minutes, involved thieves using a freight lift to access a window, cutting into display cases with angle grinders, and escaping on motorbikes. The stolen items, including a diamond-and-emerald necklace gifted by Napoleon to Empress Marie-Louise, remain unrecovered.
In a letter to Culture Minister Rachida Dati, the CGT, CFDT, and Sud unions described the museum as being in "crisis," citing insufficient resources and deteriorating working conditions. They emphasized that "visiting the Louvre has become a real obstacle course" for the millions of visitors.
Recent incidents have further highlighted infrastructure issues. On November 26, a water leak damaged several hundred publications in the museum's Egyptian antiquities library. Additionally, some employee offices and a public gallery were temporarily closed due to weakened floor beams.
The unions are demanding increased resources for building maintenance and enhanced security measures to protect the museum's collections, visitors, and staff. The planned strike may lead to temporary closures of the museum, one of France's premier cultural landmarks.