Workers at the Louvre Museum are planning a rolling strike starting Monday, demanding more staff and better measures to manage overcrowding. The move adds to the challenges facing the world’s most-visited museum, which is still reeling from a high-profile daylight heist in October that saw crown jewels worth $102 million stolen.
Christian Galani, a representative of the hard-left CGT union, told AFP that it’s unclear whether the museum will close completely. “If it does open, it will only be a partial opening, with a very limited route, just to say ‘we’re open,’” he said.
The strike is expected to receive wide support from the Louvre’s 2,200-strong workforce. “We’re going to have a lot more strikers than usual,” Galani added. “Normally, it’s front-of-house and security staff. This time, there are scientists, documentarians, collections managers, curators, and even colleagues in the workshops planning to join.”
Workers have a range of complaints, reflecting broad discontent. Reception and security staff say they are understaffed and overwhelmed by the millions of visitors each year. Documentarians and curators are concerned about the building’s maintenance, citing recent water leaks and the closure of a gallery due to structural problems. Chief Louvre architect Francois Chatillon admitted last month that the building is “not in a good state.”
The strike comes at a sensitive time, with the museum under intense scrutiny after the October 19 heist. Two intruders used an extendable ladder to access the crown jewels gallery, cutting through glass in front of visitors and stealing eight priceless items. Investigations revealed only one security camera was operational outside, guards didn’t have enough screens to monitor coverage properly, and police were initially misdirected.
Security audits over the past decade, including a 2019 review by Van Cleef & Arpels, had warned that the balcony targeted by the thieves was a major weak point — exactly what the robbers exploited.
The Louvre, home to treasures like Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa,” has long struggled with over-tourism. With 30,000 daily visitors, staff face long queues, unsafe conditions, and poor facilities. Strike organizers say the action is needed to address both staff welfare and visitor safety, even as museum director Laurence des Cars faces calls to resign over ongoing management and security issues.
