The Louvre Museum in Paris, the world's most visited museum, was forced to close its doors on Monday morning after its employees voted unanimously to go on strike over pay, workload, and long-standing concerns about security and maintenance.
Some 400 employees of the Louvre voted "unanimously" in favor of a "renewable strike," according to the General Workers' Confederation (CGT), one of the largest labor federations in the world, and the French Democratic Federation of Labor (CFDT).
While Tuesday is the museum's scheduled weekly closing day, the labor action has now crippled operations.
According to the unions, the Louvre's management team has long overlooked basic maintenance and security even as staff numbers have steadily declined.
In a letter to the French Ministry of Culture, employee representatives warned that the strike could continue unless their demands for hiring more staff and raising wages are met.
"The situation is catastrophic. We are facing a dilapidated museum. There is chronic understaffing in this institution. So, there is a necessity for staffing levels to be increased," said Christian Galani, a CGT union official.
The latest dispute follows a year of difficulties for the museum, including a brazen jewel heist in October, when four thieves stole crown jewels worth over 100 million U.S. dollars.
In addition, there had been structural weaknesses that forced the closures of some galleries, and a water leak damaged hundreds of ancient Egyptian books.
The Louvre is seeking an estimated one billion dollars to finance a large-scale renovation project aimed at addressing its aging infrastructure and rising costs, as well as improving its security systems.
To that end, non-EU visitors will soon face a steep ticket price hike, with admission fees set to rise by 45 percent.
The managers said that the increase is necessary to fund urgent repairs and security upgrades. However, unions argue that until staffing levels improve, other underlying issues will only continue to worsen.
"These non-EU visitors will find a dilapidated museum and won't have access to all collections because we suffer from chronic understaffing -- nearly 100 positions have been cut over the past 15 years," said Galani.
However, some visitors may find it hard to accept the price increase
"I can understand putting a premium on a little bit. It's (what) we should do in all countries, but 47 percent seems a bit excessive," said Stuart, a tourist from the UK.
"I think they're just wanting to take a picture outside. They're not going to have the opportunity to see the beauty inside if it's too costly," said Fanny, another tourist from Indonesia.
Louvre Museum closes due to strike
Louvre Museum closes due to strike
