Paris’ Louvre museum opens but some parts stay closed as staff resume strike

PARIS – The Louvre museum in Paris –

hit by a jewel heist in October

and by a workers’ dispute – opened on Jan 5 after a three-hours delay but some parts remained closed due to the strike.

Staff had met earlier in the day to decide whether to resume a rolling strike, to protest against pay and working conditions. The strike started in December 2025 but was

called off on Dec 19

ahead of the Christmas holidays.

The Louvre is the world’s most visited museum but it has been left reeling by October 2025’s robbery, when four burglars made off with

jewels worth US$102 million (S$131 million)

. The jewels are still missing.

It has also been hit by recent infrastructure problems, including a

water leak that damaged ancient books

, which have highlighted 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 better use of how the museum’s money is spent. REUTERS