Eiffel Tower closure exposes dispute over treatment of female staff
Staff struck after alleging female employees were moved during a BAPS delegation’s visit, prompting an investigation by the tower operator and Paris authorities.
The Eiffel Tower was closed on Monday after staff struck over allegations that female employees were moved from their work positions during a visit by about 100 people linked to BAPS, a Hindu spiritual and volunteer organisation.
The visit took place on Saturday. Staff union representative Diane Davoine said women were told to leave their workplaces so men could take their positions, describing the treatment as humiliating. She said workers sought assurances that women would not be treated in the same way again.
Société d’Exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE), which operates the landmark, said the delegation had requested arrangements limiting interactions with women. The company acknowledged that those conditions should not have been accepted, saying they conflicted with its values and principles of equality between men and women.
BAPS apologised for any pain or inconvenience caused and said the visit had been arranged with the Eiffel Tower team at the start of normal opening hours to avoid disruption. The organisation said it believed in mutual respect and service.
SETE president Ariel Weil said the arrangement was unacceptable and reaffirmed the tower’s commitment to republican values and gender equality. Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire said the employees’ anger was legitimate and announced an investigation into the circumstances of the visit.
The incident drew condemnation from French political figures, who said women’s presence or roles could not be limited at the country’s public institutions and historic monuments.
