Eiffel Tower Staff Strike
Eiffel Tower closes temporarily after employees strike over sidelined female staff during private visit
Anonymous
Key Points
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Union representative Diane Davoine said the incident left female employees feeling humiliated and that tensions grew over the weekend, leading workers to demand assurances that women would not be treated similarly again.
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The visit took place shortly before BAPS consecrated its first major temple in France, located in the Paris suburbs, linking the Eiffel Tower trip to a significant event for the organization.
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BAPS’s Paris temple said the visit had been arranged with Eiffel Tower management at the start of normal opening hours specifically to avoid disrupting other visitors, and issued an apology in its statement addressing the controversy.
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Visitors arriving on Monday encountered notices saying the tower’s opening had been delayed for “operational reasons” as employees gathered to demand accountability over the incident.
The Eiffel Tower closed on Monday after employees struck to protest the removal of female staff during a private visit by about 100 members of the Hindu organization BAPS. The Mirror reported that women were instructed to leave their workstations and replaced by male colleagues as the delegation passed through. The tower's operator apologized, acknowledging the arrangement should never have been accepted.
Union representative Diane Davoine said female employees felt humiliated and demanded assurances that women would not face similar treatment again. French officials condemned the incident. Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire called for an investigation, while National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet rejected asking women to step aside for any foreign visitors. Al Jazeera reported the landmark was expected to reopen the following day.
BAPS Requested Women-Free Arrangements for Visit
BAPS, the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, requested specific conditions for their private tour. GB News reported that women working at the Paris landmark were removed from their posts to avoid interactions with the delegation. The tower's operator, Société d'Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel, acknowledged accepting these conditions was wrong.
BAPS said the visit had been coordinated with tower management at the start of normal opening hours specifically to avoid disrupting other visitors. The organization issued an apology addressing the controversy, though it defended the arrangement as a mutual agreement with management.
Female Workers Left Humiliated and Demanding Accountability
Tensions erupted over the weekend after the incident. Union representative Diane Davoine told officials that female employees felt deeply humiliated by being forced to abandon their posts. Yahoo reported that workers gathered Monday morning demanding accountability and guarantees this would never happen again.
Visitors arriving Monday encountered delays. Notices said the tower's opening had been postponed for "operational reasons" as employees organized their protest. The strike forced a complete closure of the iconic Paris landmark until management addressed their concerns.
French Officials Condemn Gender Discrimination at National Symbol
The incident sparked swift political condemnation. Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire called for an investigation into how management allowed female staff to be excluded. National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet issued a strong statement rejecting the practice of asking women to step aside for foreign visitors.
The controversy linked to a significant moment for BAPS, which had just consecrated its first major temple in France, located in the Paris suburbs. The timing amplified scrutiny of the organization's practices and raised questions about how French employers handle accommodation requests from foreign groups.
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