Strike over staff shortage shuts Louvre in Paris

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Staff at the Louvre in Paris went on strike Monday, forcing the museum to close and disappointing tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of the Mona Lisa and other masterworks.

The museum said the staff has started striking because their numbers were no longer sufficient to cope with the ever-increasing number of visitors.

"Due to a strike by reception and security staff linked to high visitor numbers, the Louvre will exceptionally be closed on Monday," the museum said on Twitter.

The Sud Culture Solidaires trade union said in a statement that the Louvre was "suffocating" and the staff has been overwhelmed by the number of visitors.

"Staff have noticed an unprecedented deterioration in working and visiting conditions," it said.

Reception and security personnel at the Louvre museum say they are being overwhelmed by the number of visitors. The Louvre Museum, housed in the Louvre Palace, is one of the largest museums and historic moments in the world with more than 10 million visitors each year. /VCG Photo

"More than 10 million people visited the Louvre in 2018. Although visitor numbers have grown by more than 20 percent since 2009... staff numbers are falling," the union said.

The CGT Culture union said 150 museum staff had gathered outside the culture ministry in Paris to protest "against staff shortages."

The Louvre said it would refund visitors who had bought tickets for Monday.

It is usually particularly busy on Mondays as it is one of the few Paris museums to stay open on a day when many others close.

This is not the first time Louvre workers have staged a strike over conditions: In April 2013 staff walked out due to an upsurge in pickpockets targeting tourists.

(Cover: The Louvre Pyramid, or Pyramide du Louvre, and the Louvre museum, in Paris, France, March 21, 2019. /VCG Photo)

Source(s): AFP