Eiffel Tower shut by staff protest after female workers moved for religious visit

LONDON, Sep 8: The iconic Eiffel Tower was closed on Monday after staff staged a walkout over the removal of female employees from their workstations during a visit by a Hindu religious group, authorities said.

The incident occurred on Saturday when around 100 people linked to BAPS (Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha) visited the landmark, Euronews reported.

Diane Davoine, a union representative, told French television that female workers had been “moved away from their workstations” as the delegation passed through the site.

Eiffel Tower employees condemned what they described as “professional instructions” that resulted in female staff being sidelined, replaced and made invisible because of their sex.

SETE, the company operating the Eiffel Tower, acknowledged that the Hindu delegation had requested the visit be organised to limit interactions with women. The company said such conditions “should not have been accepted.”

The BAPS Hindu temple in Paris apologised for any “pain or inconvenience caused”, saying the visit was coordinated with Eiffel Tower teams and scheduled at the start of normal opening hours to minimise disruption to other visitors.

The incident triggered anger among staff and criticism from senior French politicians. Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire described the conditions agreed to as “unacceptable” and said an investigation would be launched.

National Assembly President Yael Braun-Pivet also condemned the incident, saying women should not be asked to step aside to meet the demands of foreign visitors. She stressed that welcoming others should not mean giving up France’s values of equality and women’s participation in public life. (Agencies)