Eiffel Tower workers strike over removal of female staff during BAPS delegation visit

Paris: The Eiffel Tower was closed on Monday, September 7, after staff reportedly went on strike over allegations that female employees were removed from their positions to accommodate a visit by a delegation linked to the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a Hindu religious organisation based in Ahmedabad.

According to a BBC report, around 100 people associated with BAPS visited the iconic Paris landmark last week. Staff union representative Diane Davoine told the broadcaster that when the delegation arrived, female employees were allegedly asked to move aside and leave their work positions so that male staff could take their places, Siasat Daily reported.

The incident reportedly angered employees and led to the closure of the monument on Monday. Tensions had reportedly intensified over the weekend, prompting staff to meet on Monday to seek discussions with management and demand assurances that female employees would not be treated similarly in the future, Davoine told Reuters.

Notices displayed at the base of the Eiffel Tower on Monday said its opening had been delayed due to operational reasons, Reuters reported.

Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said an investigation would be launched as soon as possible. In a post on X, he acknowledged the anger among the employees and said he considered their concerns legitimate.

According to French newspaper Le Monde, Eiffel Tower employees condemned the professional instructions that allegedly resulted in female workers being sidelined, replaced and excluded on the basis of their gender during the delegation’s visit.

The SETE, the company responsible for operating the landmark, acknowledged that the Hindu delegation had requested arrangements intended to minimise interactions with women. The company said such conditions should not have been accepted.

The controversy comes shortly after the new BAPS temple in Paris was virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 6 this year.

BAPS describes itself on its website as a socio-spiritual Hindu faith organisation rooted in the Vedas.