Louvre faces closures as staff walk out

"Unlike public transport workers, museum staff are not obliged to give advance notice of their intention to strike. "I can't guarantee that the institution will be closed. 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'," Christian Galani, from the hard-left CGT trade union, told AFP."

"He said the strike, just as Paris is gearing up for the Christmas holidays, 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. "Normally, it's front-of-house and security staff. This time there are scientists, documentarians, collections managers, even curators and colleagues in the workshops, telling us they plan to go on strike.""

Louvre workers began a rolling strike seeking additional staff and measures to manage severe overcrowding. A museum notice warned of possible delays and partial closures, and staff are not required to give strike notice. The CGT union said the action could draw broad support across the museum's 2,200 employees, including scientists, documentarians, collections managers, curators and workshop staff. Reception and security teams report understaffing amid millions of visitors and roughly 30,000 daily arrivals, creating hazards and long queues. The strike follows a June walk-out and a high-profile October theft of jewels valued at 88 million.

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