The Louvre did not open this morning as the staff of the Paris museum unanimously voted to strike, two months after a high-profile robbery exposed its shortcomings, writes UNN with reference to BFMTV.
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"The Louvre Museum did not open its doors on Monday, December 15, after at least 400 employees, gathered at a general meeting, unanimously voted to strike," trade unions CFDT and CGT report.
Therefore, the Louvre may have to close some of its premises or even the entire building on Monday. The management told AFP that it is currently compiling a list of non-striking employees to determine whether the museum can open on Monday.
This morning, several dozen tourists waited at the entrance, hoping to get inside, but some museum staff told them not to return until noon, BFMTV reports.
Trade unions condemn "deteriorating working conditions" and "insufficient resources" almost two months after the October 19 robbery and the exposure of its shortcomings.
"Visiting the Louvre has become a real ordeal," the CGT, CFDT and SUD trade unions wrote in their strike notice sent on December 8 to the country's Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati.
The trade unions also spoke about the museum management's disregard for "building emergencies."
In the chaos following the spectacular robbery, the Louvre was also forced to close a gallery in November due to the dilapidated state of the building, and two weeks ago there was a water leak that damaged several hundred books in the Library of Egyptian Antiquities, the publication writes.