The Louvre Museum closed to visitors on Monday, January 12, after staff launched another strike over pay, staffing levels, and working conditions, according to Le Monde. The closure marks the latest in a string of disruptions at the world’s most visited museum.
In a notice posted on its website, the museum said it was unable to open due to the walkout and that tickets would be automatically reimbursed. The closure follows a series of stoppages and delayed openings that have repeatedly interrupted operations since mid-December.
Museum staff have staged multiple strike actions in recent weeks, including a three-day walkout before Christmas and several partial closures and delayed openings in early January. On January 5, the Louvre reopened only after a three-hour delay, with several galleries remaining closed as workers resumed strike action following a brief holiday pause.
Unions representing Louvre employees say staff are overworked and that the museum is understaffed and poorly maintained; workers are calling for increased hiring, higher wages, and greater investment in infrastructure. The disputes have unfolded amid heightened scrutiny of the institution following an October daytime robbery in which thieves stole crown jewels valued at more than $100 million, most of which have not been recovered.
Labor tensions have also intensified around the museum’s long-term redevelopment plans, including a proposed standalone gallery for Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. Earlier this month, staff staged another walkout targeting the project, which unions have described as unrealistic given the museum’s existing staffing and maintenance problems.
With negotiations between unions and management ongoing, further disruptions remain possible. The Louvre did not immediately answer a request for comment about when normal operations will fully resume.
