The Louvre Museum did not open its doors Monday morning after at least 400 workers gathered in an assembly to decide whether or not to join an indefinite strike. The strike was called by several unions, who denounced deteriorating working conditions and insufficient resources at a time marked by structural failures and operational problems.
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According to BFMTV, tourists were waiting outside the main entrance, but staff advised them not to return before midday. Depending on the result of the vote, the museum may close part of the spaces or even completely suspend visits due to lack of staff.
In the strike notice sent on December 8 to the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, the CGT, CFDT and SUD unions affirm that “visiting the Louvre has become a real obstacle course”. The entities also attribute “negligence” to museum management in the face of real estate emergencies that have accumulated over the past few months.
After the break-in of October 19, which revealed security flaws, the Louvre is facing new episodes of instability. In November, a gallery had to be closed due to the condition of the building. Two weeks ago, a water leak damaged hundreds of books in the Egyptian Antiquities Library.
In a letter addressed to the Minister of Culture, the unions affirm that “every day, the museum spaces remain closed well beyond the period provided for in the guaranteed opening plan, due to lack of staff, but also technical breakdowns and the age of the building”. According to them, successive internal alerts were not taken into account, and the statements published by management “do not allow us to hope for an awareness proportional to the crisis”.
The entities demand the opening of negotiations directly with the Ministry of Culture, alleging an unprecedented deterioration of the social climate and the need for urgent responses from the responsible authorities.
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