Under strike pressure, Louvre partially reopens to frustrated tourists

Staff at the Louvre Museum voted on Wednesday to extend a strike to demand better working conditions and visitor experience at the Paris landmark, forcing management to only partially open to frustrated tourists.

Hundreds had queued in the brisk weather hoping to enter the world's most visited museum as the vote delayed opening, with management announcing the site would receive visitors but some rooms would remain closed due to the strike. 

The museum had been shuttered on Monday due to strike action and on Tuesday for its usual closure, leaving many tourists disappointed. 

There were boos and whistles from some visitors lining up as staff emerged from their meeting with banners and flags in front of the pyramids in the forecourt. 

"What about tourists' rights? It's shameful," one man shouted as union leaders spoke to journalists after the vote.

CGT union representative Christian Galani said workers were also striking with museum visitors in mind.

"Today we are on strike. It's our right, and we are defending their rights too because they will be able to visit a museum in better conditions," he said at the Louvre. 

The CGT and CFDT unions announced around 300 staff at a general assembly voted "unanimously" to extend their strike, with proposals from the culture ministry "deemed insufficient and unacceptable by the staff," according to a CGT social media post. 

Intense scrutiny

The union action comes as the museum leadership faces intense scrutiny over the running of the institution after an embarrassing daylight robbery in October that saw thieves make off with jewels worth $102 million. 

The incident also highlighted discontent among the 2,200-strong workforce, with union representatives saying they have been warning for years about staff shortages and disrepair inside the former royal palace. 

Galani said workers had been complaining about security, staffing and salaries for many years.

"Now it's time to change," he said. 

Some visitors anxious to gain entry to the site – home to works like Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa – voiced annoyance but were resigned.  

Spanish tourist Jose Ibanez had been waiting for at least an hour at the head of the queue.

"I have three days in Paris, I would love to visit the Louvre but if it's not possible I understand their demands," he said. 

"It's frustrating, right, because we've come all the way from Canada, and we've come early, you try to make sure that you're doing everything correct," said 41-year-old Jesse Henry, a mechanic visiting the French capital with wife and children. 

"But I also understand that it's a demonstration."