Louvre Museum workers begin a rolling strike, demanding more staff and action on overcrowding, adding pressure after a recent high-profile heist
PARIS: Workers at the Louvre Museum will begin a rolling strike on Monday to demand extra staff and measures to tackle severe overcrowding.
The industrial action adds to the pressures on the Paris landmark nearly two months after a shocking daylight heist saw crown jewels worth USD 102 million stolen.
Christian Galani from the hard-left CGT trade union said he could not guarantee the institution would close.
“If they do open the museum, it will only be a partial opening, with a very, very limited route, just to say ‘we’re open’,” Galani told AFP.
He said the strike, timed as Paris gears up for Christmas, would have broad support across the museum’s 2,200-strong workforce.
“We’re going to have a lot more strikers than usual,” Galani added.
He noted that scientists, documentarians, collections managers, curators, and workshop colleagues plan to join front-of-house and security staff in the walkout.
The diverse grievances paint a picture of widespread staff discontent as the institution remains in the public spotlight following the October 19 robbery.
Reception and security staff complain of being understaffed while managing vast visitor flows, with the museum welcoming several million people beyond its planned capacity annually.
A spontaneous walk-out on June 16 this year forced the museum to close temporarily.
The Louvre has become a symbol of “over-tourism”, with 30,000 daily visitors facing what unions call an “obstacle course” of hazards, long queues, and sub-standard facilities.
Documentarians and curators are increasingly alarmed by the state of disrepair inside the former royal palace.
Recent issues include a water leak and a gallery closure due to structural problems.
“The building is not in a good state,” chief Louvre architect Francois Chatillon admitted during a parliamentary hearing last month.
Under-fire Louvre boss Laurence des Cars warned the government in January about leaks, overheating, and the declining visitor experience.
Questions continue over whether the high-profile heist was avoidable and why a national treasure appeared so poorly protected.
Two intruders used a portable extendable ladder to access the crown jewels gallery, cutting through a glass door with angle grinders in front of startled visitors.
Investigations revealed only one security camera was working outside, guards lacked sufficient monitoring screens, and police were initially misdirected.
Major security vulnerabilities were highlighted in several studies seen by Louvre management over the last decade.
A 2019 audit by experts at Van Cleef & Arpels specifically stressed that the targeted riverside balcony was a weak point reachable with an extendable ladder. – AFP
