Staff at France's Louvre museum in Paris on Wednesday unanimously voted in favor of extending a strike over pay and working conditions that began on Monday, leaving the world's most visited museum closed until further notice.
The museum is routinely closed on Tuesdays.
The strike comes after a spectacular jewel heist in October, as well as recent infrastructure problems, including a water leak that damaged ancient books, which have exposed glaring security gaps and revealed the museum's deteriorating state.
Unions have said that staff at the Louvre are overworked and mismanaged, and they are calling for more hiring, pay increases and a redirection of spending.
Louvre director Laurence des Cars, who has faced intense criticism since burglars in October made off with crown jewels worth 88 million euros ($103.14 million), is due to answer questions from the French Senate on Wednesday afternoon.
Des Cars has acknowledged an “institutional failure” following the heist but has come under renewed scrutiny after admitting she only learned of a critical 2019 security audit after the robbery.
France’s Court of Auditors and a separate administrative inquiry have since criticized delays in implementing a long-promised security overhaul.
The Culture Ministry announced emergency anti-intrusion measures last month and assigned Philippe Jost, who oversaw the Notre Dame restoration, to help reorganize the museum. The move was widely seen as a sign of mounting pressure on Louvre leadership.
