Louvre museum closed as workers launch strike amid staff shortages

The world’s most visited museum, the Louvre in Paris, has been closed as workers began their strike on Monday, December 15, 2025.

The crisis-hit museum has been in the spotlight for the past couple of months. 

First, due to an eight-minute heist, resulting in theft of treasures worth €88m, then a water leak that damaged 300-400 journals and books in the Egyptian department, and now the workers strike.

The workers are demanding:

• Urgent renovations
• Increased staffing

They are also protesting against the increase in ticket prices for non-EU visitors, including the visitors from the United States (U.S.) and Britain.

The Louvre attracts the largest number of visitors from all around the world. In 2024, it attracted 8.7 million visitors.

All of the three trade unions, including CGT, Sud and CFDT have announced a rolling strike.

CGT Union official Christian Galani said, “We are having staff shortages. Several rooms are regularly closed off, and now tourists need to pay more when they can’t even access the whole collection inside.”

The unions stated that since 2015, more than 200 jobs have been cut mainly in security, adding, “The jewel robbery had highlighted the years of difficulties."

They added, “Staff today feel like they are the last line of defense before the museum collapses.”