PARIS: The Eiffel Tower reopened to visitors on Tuesday after staff called off a sudden strike over allegations that female employees were asked to stay away from their work areas during a private visit by a Hindu religious delegation.
The protest erupted on Monday after staff unions alleged that female employees were instructed by management to move away from their assigned locations and remain “invisible” during the visit of around 100 members of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.
The delegation was in France for the inauguration of a new temple and had reportedly booked a private visit to the Eiffel Tower.
According to unions, management allegedly asked female employees to leave certain areas at the request of the delegation and deployed male staff instead. Employees described the move as humiliating and discriminatory, prompting them to stop work.
The strike disrupted operations at the popular Paris landmark, leaving hundreds of visitors facing inconvenience.
As the controversy escalated, Eiffel Tower operating company SETE president Ariel Weil apologised to the staff. He acknowledged that such conditions should not have been accepted and said they were contrary to the organisation’s fundamental values.
BAPS Paris also issued a statement expressing regret if anyone had been hurt by the incident. The organisation said the early-morning private visit was arranged to avoid inconvenience to the public and denied having any discriminatory intention.
The French government has taken note of the controve
