Khaberni - The Louvre Museum announced the closure of its doors to visitors, today, Monday, due to a strike by employees, which has returned during the past few weeks, protesting wages, staff shortages, and deteriorating working conditions inside the museum.
Workers are protesting the severe shortage of staff, especially in the security department, as well as their objection to the decision to raise ticket prices for visitors from outside the European Union. This measure is scheduled to take effect on January 14, and employees have also expressed concern about the deteriorating condition of the building, considering it poses a risk to the safety of both staff and visitors alike.
These actions come amid increasing security concerns, especially after a major theft operation the museum suffered last October, when four thieves stole jewels worth approximately 102 million dollars, which are still missing to date, in an incident that brought to the forefront questions about the adequacy of protection measures within the museum.
The Louvre Museum had witnessed a similar strike earlier this month, which led to a complete closure followed by a partial reopening, before the workers later decided to suspend the strike and allow the doors to be fully opened to visitors after a unanimous vote during a general assembly of the employees.
The unions stated then that the decision to suspend came after a series of meetings with officials from the French Ministry of Culture, but they emphasized that the progress made was still not enough, especially in terms of salaries, the number of workers, and long-term insurance plans.
Union representatives expressed their displeasure with what they described as the absence of communication from the museum management with the employees during the strikes, noting that the museum's president did not meet with the workers or address them directly.
A new general assembly of the staff is expected to be held in the coming days to assess the results of the latest actions and decide on whether to continue the strike or suspend it again, at a time when the tourism sector anxiously anticipates the impact of these protests on the world's most visited museum.
