The Louvre's Struggles: Heists, Strikes, and Infrastructure Woes

The Louvre Museum in Paris reopened after being delayed by strikes and a previous jewel heist. Despite resuming operations, parts of the museum were still closed due to ongoing protests by staff demanding better pay and working conditions. The museum is also dealing with infrastructure issues.

(Updates from paragraph 1 onwards with museum re-opening) PARIS, Jan 5 (Reuters) -

The Louvre Museum in Paris, which faced a jewel heist in October and worker disputes, reopened on Monday following a three-hour delay. Some sections remained closed due to continuing staff strikes over pay and working conditions. The strike had been suspended on December 19 for the Christmas holidays.

As the world's most visited museum, the Louvre has been grappling with challenges, including a significant jewel robbery last October, where thieves escaped with jewels valued at $102 million; the items are still missing. Infrastructure problems, such as a water leak damaging valuable texts, have underscored concerns about the museum's aging facilities.

Union representatives claim Louvre employees are overworked and poorly managed, leading to demands for increased hiring, improved salaries, and better financial management within the museum.

(With inputs from agencies.)