French museums closed by strikes reopen

PARIS, Dec. 6 (UPI) -- A number of national museums in France reopened Sunday after temporarily closing their doors during strikes by their workers, French media said.

Radio France Internationale said among the French museums reopening Sunday was the Orsay museum of impressionist art, which was closed for four days during the walkouts.

Staff members at the museum are scheduled to vote Tuesday regarding a possible continuation of their strike.

Staff members at the Orsay, as well as other national museums and monuments, are opposing planned job cuts. Starting next year, replacements will not be found for 50 percent of retiring French civil service employees.

In addition, staff members at museums such as the Pompidou center are facing layoffs. Since the museum workers' strike, the number of Pompidou workers facing layoffs decreased from 26 to 18.

Radio France Internationale said despite the reduced layoffs by the French Ministry of Culture, French trade union officials want the number to decrease further.

The Pompidou was not among the museums that reopened this weekend.