French Museum Workers Threaten Expanded Strike

Gregory Viscusi of Bloomberg is reporting French Museum workers, now on strike at the Pompidou Center, the second most visited museum in Paris at 5.5 million per year behind the Louvre's 8.6 million, plan on expanding the strike to other museums if job reductions are not ended. The strike, if expanded would impact both the Louvre and Versailles should the French government continue with planned staff cuts at museums. The French governments plan is to replace one of every two retiring museum workers, therefore reducing the total number of staff. Like other museums around the world including some of the largest and most famous institutions have fallen upon hard times as economic conditions continue to impact the museum industry.

Viscusi states

The move could hurt hundreds of businesses, stores and restaurants that depend on tourists in French cities including Paris, the world’s most-visited city. The non-replacement of one out of every two retirees, designed to shrink the state and cut the budget deficit, was a campaign pledge of President Nicolas Sarkozy in his 2007 election.

“The Pompidou Center, like numerous other public establishments, is on the edge of financial paralysis,” a release by the unions said Nov. 24. Workers voted today to continue their strike for at least another 24 hours, Hesni said.

A spokeswoman for Culture Minister Frederic Mitterrand said the ministry had no immediate comment.

‘Total Shutdown’

“If we don’t get some response from the ministry, we risk heading toward a total shutdown of French museums,” Roger Martinez, a union representative at Force Ouvriere, said in a telephone interview.

To read the full article by Viscusi, click HERE.