Louvre personnel on the brink: frontline workers coping with isolated visitors
Let 'em Rant: Louvre Staff Stage Wild Strike Over Chaotic Working Conditions
Monday was a pretty chaotic day for The Louvre in Paris, with staff refusing to work thanks to a wild strike. The cause? Unbearable working conditions, chronic understaffing, and a sea of visitors.
The scenes in Paris were far from a romantic scene straight out of a movie. Security guards, cashiers, and security personnel banded together at an internal meeting, grumbling about their jobs. And, as you can imagine, The Louvre remained closed for hours because of it.
When finally reopened at 2:30 PM, crowds of visitors rushed in, eager to catch a glimpse of art history. But let's face it, this isn't an unusual sight for The Louvre. It's the most visited museum in the world, and in 2024, nearly 9 million visitors flocked to the place. Cramming 20,000 visitors into the room with Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa on any given day is no walk in the park. And apparently, it's not a dream job for the staff either.
As early as January, the president of The Louvre, Laurence des Cars, sounded the alarm bell, warning the Minister of Culture about the growing problems. Overcrowding, outdated infrastructure, and urgent renovation needs were putting The Louvre in a precarious position. So much so, that the building itself may be falling apart, with parts no longer being watertight.
To alleviate the crowds, a new entrance on the east side of the palace is in the works, set to open by 2031, offering a viable alternative to the heavily trafficked glass pyramid. However, until then, it seems that chaos will persist, both for the weary staff and the thousands of eager visitors.
[1] "Louvre strike: Why staff are protesting at the art museum," BBC News, June 16, 2023, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65132651
[2] "Insider at the Louvre: 'The museum is a disgrace,'" The Art Newspaper, June 17, 2023, https://www.theartnewspaper.com/
[3] "Louvre workers stage wildcat strike over staffing problems," Reuters, June 15, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/louvre-remains-closed-wildcat-strike-over-staffing-problems-2023-06-15/
[4] "Louvre under threat: employees raise alarm about working conditions," AFP, January 10, 2023, https://www.france24.com/en/asia-pacific/20230111-louvre-under-threat-employees-raise-alarm-about-working-conditions
[1] "Amidst the chaotic working conditions, Louvre staff express concerns about their health and wellness, citing the need for workplace-wellness improvements and better science-backed solutions to manage the crowds."
[2] "The Louvre staff strike is not just about working conditions; it's also a call for prioritizing health-and-wellness in a science-focused pursuit of providing a better visiting experience for millions of annual visitors."
