GUWAHATI: The Eiffel Tower was closed to visitors on Monday, September 7, after employees went on strike over instructions that allegedly required female staff to leave or avoid certain posts during a private visit by a Hindu religious delegation.
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Around 100 members associated with the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) visited the Paris landmark on Saturday. The visit coincided with a cultural boat procession on the Seine organised by the group.
The Eiffel Tower's operating company, SETE, attributed Monday's closure to "exceptional circumstances". However, employees said they were angered by instructions that they described as "professional instructions that led to female employees being sidelined, replaced and made invisible because of their sex."
According to a statement issued by the staff, "Instructions were given to female employees of the Eiffel Tower and to female employees of contractors to make themselves invisible in order to welcome this delegation". Female staff were also allegedly instructed to avoid entering or crossing certain areas while the delegation was inside the landmark.
SETE acknowledged that the delegation had requested arrangements aimed at limiting interactions with women and admitted that such conditions should not have been accepted. The company said the arrangements were inconsistent with its values and its commitment to equality between men and women, adding that it would accept the consequences.
BAPS, which consecrated its first major temple in France near Paris on Sunday, said it respected the concerns raised by Eiffel Tower employees and took them seriously. The organisation said the visit had been coordinated with the tower's staff because of the size of the delegation and was scheduled at the beginning of normal opening hours to minimise disruption to other visitors.
BAPS also apologised to anyone who may have been hurt or inconvenienced by the arrangements, while reiterating its commitment to mutual respect and service to others.
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said an investigation would be launched into the incident. He said he was aware of the anger among Eiffel Tower employees and considered their concerns legitimate, calling for the circumstances that led to the protest to be fully examined.
The Eiffel Tower, one of Paris's most visited landmarks, receives nearly seven million visitors annually, according to its website. The tower remained closed throughout Monday but was expected to reopen as normal on Tuesday, according to a staff representative.