Louvre Museum Staff Announce Strike from December 15 Over Pay, Conditions and Management Issues

People stand outside the Louvre Museum, after French police arrested suspects in the Louvre heist case, in Paris, France October 26, 2025. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor

Paris, December 9, 2025 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Staff at France’s Louvre Museum plan to strike from December 15 over pay, working conditions and management issues, according to a strike notice sent to the Ministry of Culture by three unions. The stoppage adds to a series of recent incidents that have placed the museum’s management under scrutiny, including a major jewels heist and a water leak that damaged ancient books.

Elise Muller, an official from the Sud union, said whether the museum opens on December 15 will depend on staff participation in the strike.

The strike letter states that the notice covers all Louvre staff “for the night preceding 15 December 2025 and for the following days until the demands are met.” The unions say employees at the museum are overworked and mismanaged, calling for additional hiring, salary increases and a reorientation of spending.

The Louvre Museum and the Ministry of Culture did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Museum director Laurence des Cars has faced increased criticism following the October burglary in which thieves stole crown jewels valued at approximately $102 million. Critics, including the state auditor, have questioned the museum’s limited spending on security and infrastructure while funds were dedicated to new artwork acquisitions and post-pandemic relaunch projects. Only a quarter of newly acquired pieces are accessible to the public.

Des Cars acknowledged security lapses after the heist and offered her resignation, which Culture Minister Rachida Dati declined. She said she was surprised by the museum’s condition when she assumed her position in September 2021 after moving from the Musée d’Orsay.

The museum announced plans to install 100 external security cameras by the end of 2026.

In mid-November, the Louvre closed a gallery after structural issues were detected in areas built in the 1930s. Over the weekend, a water leak damaged hundreds of ancient books in the Egyptian antiquities department.

The unions’ letter said staff feel they are “the last line of defence before the museum’s collapse.” The unions also object to a planned 45% ticket price increase from mid-January for non-EU tourists, introduced to help finance renovation projects.