From Theft to Leaks: Tumultuous Year at the Louvre as Unions Declare Strike Demanding Permanent Positions

Three Major Unions at the Louvre Announce Strike
Cite “Staff Shortages, Technical Failures, and Building Deterioration”
Demand Restoration of 200 Permanent Jobs and Conversion of Temporary Staff

The Louvre Museum in Paris, France, which has experienced a tumultuous year, is now facing a year-end strike by its unions. According to Yonhap News on December 8 (local time), citing the French daily Le Monde, the museum’s three major unions-the General Confederation of Labour (CGT), the French Democratic Confederation of Labour (CFDT), and Solidarity, Unity, Democracy (SUD)-held a vote and approved a unified strike notice scheduled for December 15.

The Grand Gallery of the Louvre Museum in Paris, France. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

The unions criticized the museum’s management, which has operated the institution since 2021, for disregarding building-related priorities and emergencies. In a statement, they said, “Exhibition spaces have remained closed far longer than originally scheduled,” attributing this to a lack of staff, technical failures, and the aging of the building. They further criticized management by stating, “Employees are suffering from a constantly increasing workload, increasingly harsh personnel management, and contradictory instructions that make it difficult to provide uninterrupted public service.”

On November 17, the Louvre Museum closed the Campana Gallery, its first-floor ceramics exhibition space in the Sully Wing, to the public due to internal safety concerns. On November 26, a leak in the Egyptian Antiquities Library caused significant damage to rare books. Val?rie Baud, head of the CFDT’s Louvre branch, pointed out, “We have requested (plumbing) repairs for years, but the work has not been carried out.”

The unions are demanding the creation of new positions to restore the 200 permanent jobs that have disappeared in the past, and the conversion of temporary contract workers to permanent staff to meet sustained tourist demand.

Private security guards standing outside the Louvre Museum following the jewelry theft incident last October. Photo by AP Yonhap News

According to Yonhap News, management believes that the “Louvre, New Renaissance” project, announced by President Emmanuel Macron earlier this year, can resolve the museum’s underlying issues. On November 27, the museum’s board approved an expenditure of 119 million euros (approximately 200 billion won), including the costs of this project.

However, most of this budget has been allocated to new expansion projects, such as creating a new entrance on the east side of the museum and developing new underground exhibition spaces. Only 17.5 million euros (approximately 3 billion won) has been allocated for building repairs, and less than 2 million euros (approximately 340 million won) for the comprehensive safety plan, leading to growing criticism that the unions’ demands for building maintenance are being neglected.

Following a recent jewelry theft that exposed vulnerabilities in the security system, the Louvre Museum also announced plans to raise admission fees. Starting January 14 next year, the admission fee for non-EU nationals will increase from 22 euros (about 37,000 won) to 32 euros (about 53,000 won), while the fee for visitors from EU countries will remain at 22 euros.

The museum expects that the increased admission fee for non-EU foreign visitors will help improve its finances, generating up to an additional 20 million euros (approximately 3.4 billion won) annually. The additional revenue from the fee hike is expected to be partially used for extensive renovations and expansions of the museum.