Uffizi workers denounce PR spin as museum touts record June attendance

Workers at the Uffizi Galleries in Florence have issued an open letter accusing the museum's management of using misleading statistics to distract from a severe crisis in cultural tourism. The letter, published by the RSU (Unitary Trade Union Representatives) of Opera Laboratori, challenges the museum's claim of a record June for attendance, arguing that the real comparison should be with June 2019, which would reveal a 70% drop. The workers highlight that only 50% of the workforce is currently employed at the Uffizi, Accademia, Bargello, and Museo di San Marco, with delays in wage subsidies and the end of the layoff ban threatening further job losses. They call for dialogue with Opera Laboratori, the Ministry, the Municipality of Florence, and museum directors to avert the worst scenarios. The Uffizi responded by stating that the June attendance figures were agreed upon with Opera Laboratori, which manages ticketing, and that the museum has already reached 40% of 2019 visitor numbers, emphasizing that all but one concessionaire have recalled 100% of their staff from furlough. The museum also noted it has created over 100 new jobs in the last five years. The controversy underscores tensions between the Uffizi's aggressive communication strategy—including high-profile visits by Chiara Ferragni and director Eike Schmidt's provocative statements—and the precarious conditions of its workers.