Paris, France – There was widespread disappointment amongst visitors on Monday as the iconic Eiffel Tower was closed for the day due to an employee strike over financial mismanagement of the famous landmark.
“Due to strike, the Eiffel Tower is closed. We apologize,” read a sign in multiple languages at the venue entrance, turning away scores of eager tourists who had planned trips to the site.
The abrupt closure came right when the 300-meter tall ‘Iron Lady’ was witnessing booming visitor numbers in the build up to the 2024 Paris Olympics. But employees weren’t sharing the joy – salaries hadn’t kept pace with rapidly rising footfalls, while maintenance of facilities had taken a backseat, they claimed.
“We had booked tickets weeks in advance for our dream Paris trip, so this was a real downer,” said Madrid resident Sofia Gonzalez, one of many dismayed visitors.
While temporarily bringing down its shutters over strikes isn’t new, this week’s protest particularly stung authorities. It reminded them that staff welfare can’t be ignored despite the upcoming Olympics spotlight.
“The strike presses for a pay hike in line with more ticket earnings, and improving the monument’s maintenance overseen by Paris authorities,” said union leader Stephane Dieu, whose grouping represents many Tower employees.
As global attention remains firmly on the French capital in the run-up to the 2024 Summer Games, the latter will be scrambling to prevent such disappointing shutdowns from marring Paris’ reputation. But equally crucial will be listening better to employee voices pleading for their share in the Eiffel Tower’s soaring revenues.
