Le Monde has reported that the strike initiated by workers at the Centre Pompidou in October concluded on January 29 with an agreement reached between CFDT and Force Ouvrière, the two unions representing the employees, and the management of the Paris institution. Culture Minister Rachida Dati expressed her determination to resolve the situation, stating in a message on X, formerly Twitter, “As soon as I arrived at the Ministry of Culture, I wanted to put an end to this stalemate.” Dati, who assumed office just eighteen days prior to the agreement, acknowledged the unprecedented nature of the one hundred days on strike in the history of the Centre Pompidou, expressing gratitude to both the staff and management for their sense of responsibility.
Expressing apprehensions about job insecurity, the workers initiated their action in anticipation of the museum’s planned five-year closure from 2025 to 2030. The Renzo Piano/Richard Rogers-designed Centre Pompidou will undergo significant renovation and expansion during this period. Approximately 1,000 workers, including conservators, administrators, and front-of-house staff, will be impacted by the closure, which museum officials had been vague about, according to the workers. Additionally, concerns among the staff heightened regarding the financial risks associated with the $200 million plan for the Pompidou’s reopening, which involves borrowing works from various locations worldwide.
Le Monde reports that the Bibliothèque Publique d’Information will be housed in the Lumière building, near Paris’s Bercy Village, while the Pompidou will mount exhibitions at the historic Grand Palais des Champs-Élysées, which offers roughly 30,000 square feet of exhibition space. Details regarding programming are not yet available.
“This protocol is essential to ensure the protection of our colleagues during the renovation of the Centre Pompidou,” said Alexis Fritche, general secretary of culture for CFDT, in a statement. Fritche lauded “the involvement of Rachida Dati and her staff, a decisive factor in the success of these negotiations.”
