Louvre staff to strike over conditions and security after heist

Trade unions at the crisis-hit Louvre museum in Paris will begin a strike today to demand urgent renovations and staffing increases, and to protest against a rise in ticket prices for most non-EU visitors, including British and American tourists.

- Angelique Chrisafis

The world’s most-visited museum - which has had a difficult few months after a jewel heist, a damaging water leak and safety fears over a gallery ceiling - could face days of partial or total closure at one of its busiest times of the year if many of its 2,100-strong workforce vote to continue striking.

The museum is still reeling from the theft on 19 October, when a four-person gang raided the museum during daylight hours, stealing an estimated €88m (£77m) of French crown jewels in seven minutes before fleeing on scooters. Four men have been arrested and placed under formal investigation, but the jewels have not been found.