The Parisian monument was affected by a strike on Monday, September 7th. The cause: the exclusion of several employees during a visit two days earlier by a Hindu religious delegation. This incident has sparked considerable controversy.
It all began on Saturday, September 5th. A delegation of approximately one hundred members affiliated with the Hindu organization BAPS, the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, visited the Eiffel Tower for a private tour. According to several media outlets, special arrangements were made to limit interactions between the group's spiritual representative and the women present. It was this organization that sparked the staff's anger.
Women excluded from certain positions
Several female employees of the Eiffel Tower, as well as employees of service companies, were reportedly asked to temporarily leave their posts or keep their distance during the passage of the delegation.
In some areas, men were reportedly called in to replace their female colleagues. Contrary to what has sometimes circulated on social media, not all the women present in the Eiffel Tower were evacuated. However, several female employees were reportedly excluded because of their gender, which immediately sparked outrage within the company.
Two days later, on Monday, September 7, some of the staff decided to go on strike to protest the handling of the event. For the striking employees, it was inconceivable that a request of a religious nature could lead to employees being removed from their positions.
The social movement disrupted the operation of the monument and led to its temporary closure.
The management of the Eiffel Tower is in turmoil.
The Eiffel Tower operating company is now at the center of criticism. The questions raised include who authorized these measures, under what conditions they were decided, and to what extent management agreed to adapt to the delegation's demands.
Apologies have been offered, while Parisian authorities are seeking to establish precisely the sequence of events and responsibilities.
The controversy quickly spread beyond the walls of the Eiffel Tower. Several political figures denounced a situation deemed incompatible with the principle of equality between women and men.
The case now raises a broader question: to what extent can a public establishment adapt its operations to the religious or cultural practices of a group when these result in treating employees differently based on their gender?
