PARIS (AP) — Louvre workers voted Monday to strike over working conditions and other grievances, dealing another blow to the Paris museum following a disgraceful jewelry heist in October.
The CFDT union said a vote was taken at a meeting of 400 workers on Monday morning and they decided to go on strike for the day.
The world's most visited museum did not open as planned and scared off potential visitors. An announcement on the Louvre website informed potential visitors that “the museum is currently closed.”
The strike vote follows talks last week between unions and government officials, including Culture Minister Rachida Dati. Labor leaders said the talks had not allayed all their concerns about Louvre staffing and funding.
“Visiting the museum has become an obstacle course,” said Alexis Fritsche, general secretary of the cultural wing of the CFDT union.
For staff, the daylight jewelry heist highlighted long-standing concerns that overcrowding and staff shortages are undermining safety and working conditions at the museum, which welcomes millions of visitors each year.
The thieves used a basket elevator to reach the front of the Louvre, forced open a window, smashed display cases and made off with pieces of the French crown jewels. A Senate investigation released last week said the thieves got away in just 30 seconds, citing broken cameras, outdated equipment, understaffed control rooms and poor coordination that initially led police to the wrong location.
