Eiffel Tower shuts after row over woman staff sidelined during Hindu group's visit
PTC News Desk: The Eiffel Tower was temporarily closed on Monday after employees staged a protest allegations that female staff were asked to step out of sight during a private visit by a Hindu religious delegation.
The dispute stems from a private visit last week by a delegation of about 100 people linked to BAPS (Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha), a religious group whose representatives were in France for festivities related to the inauguration of a temple in the Paris suburbs.
According to union representatives, female employees at the Eiffel Tower were allegedly asked to leave their workstations when members of the delegation passed through, allowing male employees to take their positions.
Diane Davoine, a union representative, told Reuters that women were asked to step away from their work areas as the delegation moved through the monument. The delegation was visiting France as part of celebrations related to the inauguration of a Hindu temple in the Paris suburbs.
Davoine said tensions among employees increased over the weekend. On Monday, workers held a meeting to discuss the incident, open a dialogue with management and ensure that women were not treated in this manner again.
The meeting delayed the opening of the Eiffel Tower. Signs at the monument said the opening had been postponed due to “operational reasons”. Davoine said the management later apologised to the employees.
Meanwhile, BAPS said the visit had been coordinated with Eiffel Tower authorities to minimise disruption and maintain normal access for visitors.
In a statement on X, the organisation said the visit by the large delegation had been planned in consultation with Eiffel Tower management at the start of regular opening hours to minimise inconvenience to the public.
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire has ordered an investigation into the allegations that led to the employee protest. He said the workers’ concerns were justified and needed to be addressed urgently.
In a post on X, Grégoire said he had taken note of the employees’ anger and acknowledged that their frustration was legitimate.
“It is unacceptable that such conditions could be tolerated,” he wrote, adding that they did not reflect either his values or those that the Eiffel Tower should represent.
- With inputs from agencies
