Louvre employees announce strike over working conditions and safety concerns
Kyiv • UNN
Louvre employees have voted to strike over working conditions, increased ticket prices for non-EU members, and safety concerns following a brazen theft of royal jewels in October. Unions stated that the museum is in crisis due to a lack of resources and deteriorating working conditions.
Louvre employees on Monday voted to strike in protest of working conditions, increased ticket prices for non-EU visitors, and security issues exposed by a brazen daylight theft of French royal jewels in October, UNN reports with reference to AP.
Details
In a letter announcing the strike, which will begin next Monday, addressed to the French Minister of Culture and seen by the Associated Press, the CGT, CFDT, and Sud unions stated that "visiting the Louvre has become a real obstacle" for millions of people who come to admire its vast collections.
The museum is in a "crisis," experiencing a lack of resources and "ongoing deterioration of working conditions," the unions said in their strike notice to Culture Minister Rachida Dati.
"The theft of October 19, 2025, exposed shortcomings in priorities that had long been reported," the unions claimed.
A gang of robbers disappeared with loot worth about 88 million euros (102 million US dollars). The museum director subsequently admitted a "terrible failure" in the security system. It took the thieves less than eight minutes to break into the museum and disappear, using a freight elevator to access one of the building's windows, angle grinders to open jewelry display cases, and motorcycles to escape.
The stolen goods have not yet been found. They include a diamond and emerald necklace given by Napoleon to Empress Marie-Louise, jewels that adorned two 19th-century queens, Marie-Amélie and Hortense, and Empress Eugénie's pearl and diamond tiara.
Additionally
A water leak on November 26 damaged several hundred editions stored in the museum's library, which specializes in Egyptian antiquities. Among the damaged works were reviews and documents from the museum. The museum reported that the building was constructed in the 19th and 20th centuries. The opening of a valve led to a leak in the water supply network, which is planned for replacement next year.
Last month, the Louvre also announced the temporary closure of some staff offices and one public gallery due to weakening ceilings.
In their strike notice, the unions stated that outdated equipment and staff shortages negatively affect the quality of visitor service, forcing the closure of some exhibits. They demanded that resources be directed to improving the building and ensuring the safety of the museum, its collections, visitors, and staff.
"We are in a neglected museum that has demonstrated its weakness in terms of security," Christian Galani, a CGT union representative representing Louvre employees, told the Associated Press. He said that employees unanimously voted to strike on Monday morning and that planned indefinite strikes risk leading to the museum's closure.
"We need to change strategy," he said.