The Louvre Museum closed due to a staff strike.

(CLO) Following a series of recent incidents, the Louvre Museum in Paris has also been forced to close due to a mass strike by its staff.

On December 15th, the Louvre Museum, the world's most visited museum, was forced to close as employees began a strike.

Staff demanded urgent repairs, increased staffing, and protested a 45% fare increase for most non-EU visitors, including tourists from the UK and the US.

Employees began a strike outside the Louvre Museum.

The Louvre Museum has endured several difficult months following a series of incidents, from a shocking jewelry theft and a water leak that damaged documents to serious safety concerns related to the ceilings in the galleries.

The museum may have to close partially or completely for several days, during one of the busiest times of the year, if the 2,100 employees who voted to strike continue their strike this week.

The museum is still reeling from the October 19th robbery, when a group of four brazenly broke in during broad daylight, stealing an estimated 88 million euros worth of French royal jewelry in just seven minutes before escaping on motorcycles.

Four suspects have been arrested and are under formal investigation, but the stolen jewelry has yet to be recovered.

Last November, a water leak damaged between 300 and 400 magazines, books, and documents in the Egyptian exhibit. Additionally, a section comprising nine galleries displaying ancient Greek pottery had to be closed due to safety concerns regarding the ceiling.

All three unions at the museum have declared rotating strikes, with 400 employees unanimously voting to begin the strike on Monday morning.

According to the unions, the jewelry theft was merely the straw that broke the camel's back, exposing long-standing problems, including staff cuts and inadequate state investment in museums.

Many employees and union representatives strongly oppose the plan to increase entrance fees by 45% for non-EU visitors in order to raise revenue for facility improvements. From January onwards, visitors will have to pay 32 euros for an entrance ticket.

Last month, the French National Audit Office concluded that the security upgrade process at the Louvre was proceeding at a "seriously inadequate" pace, while the museum prioritized "showmanship and attraction" over self-protection.

Source: https://congluan.vn/bao-tang-louvre-dong-cua-vi-nhan-vien-dinh-cong-10322717.html