The Louvre, the iconic museum in Paris and one of France’s most powerful cultural symbols, remained closed on Monday after staff unions launched a strike to protest deteriorating working conditions and insufficient resources at the world’s most visited museum.

Early in the morning, visitors arriving at the famous glass pyramid were met with closed doors and a sign announcing that the museum’s opening had been “postponed.”

Security staff advised many tourists to return later in the day. “We are closed. Please come back in a few hours,” guards told those waiting outside.

The strike comes at a sensitive time for the Louvre. In 2024, the museum welcomed nearly nine million visitors and has faced several challenges in recent months.

These include a high-profile theft in October, the closure of a gallery due to structural deterioration, and a water leak that damaged hundreds of works in the Egyptian Antiquities library.

The reason for the strike

The strike was called by the CGT, CFDT, and SUD unions, which held a general assembly to decide whether to continue what they described as a “renewable strike.” 

Around 400 employees attended the meeting and voted unanimously to extend the action. “I don’t see how the museum can open under these conditions,” said union representative Christian Galani after the vote.

Union leaders argue that visiting the Louvre has become “an obstacle course” for both staff and the public. 

They point out that more than 200 jobs have been cut over the past 15 years, while visitor numbers have surged, turning the Louvre into the most visited museum on the planet. Today, the institution employs about 2,200 people, a figure unions say is far from sufficient to handle the crowds and protect its vast collections.

The closure sparked disappointment among tourists from around the world. Minsoo Kim, a 37-year-old visitor from South Korea, said he was “very disappointed,” explaining that the Louvre was the main reason for his honeymoon trip to Paris. 

Pietra, a 27-year-old tourist from Brazil, echoed that sentiment, though she said she hoped the museum might reopen later in the day.Unions are calling on France’s Ministry of Culture and the museum’s management to address staffing shortages and improve working conditions.

Until concrete answers are provided, they warn that the strike will continue, keeping the doors of one of France’s greatest cultural treasures closed and leaving Paris without one of its main attractions.