The Eiffel Tower was closed to visitors on Monday after staff went on strike over the reported removal of female employees from their posts during a private visit by a Hindu religious delegation.
The walkout followed a visit to the Paris landmark on Saturday by about 100 people linked to the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a Hindu spiritual organisation whose new temple near Paris was inaugurated over the weekend.
Staff members said female employees were instructed to leave their workstations and avoid certain areas while the delegation was at the tower. In some cases, they were reportedly replaced by male colleagues.
Diane Davoine, a representative of the CGT union, said women were moved away from their posts as the delegation passed through the monument.
The Eiffel Tower’s operator, Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE), confirmed that the delegation had requested that the visit be organised to limit “interactions with women”.
SETE acknowledged that such conditions should not have been accepted, saying they were inconsistent with the company’s values and its commitment to equality between men and women.
The incident prompted an immediate backlash from staff, who said they were shocked by the instructions.
In a statement, Eiffel Tower employees condemned what they described as professional instructions that led female workers to be “sidelined, replaced and made invisible because of their sex.”
The dispute escalated on Monday when workers held a meeting and staged a walkout, forcing the landmark to remain closed for the day.
Paris Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire described the employees’ anger as legitimate and said an investigation would be launched into the circumstances surrounding the visit.
He said it was unacceptable for conditions to be imposed that conflicted with the principle that everyone should be able to work and move freely regardless of gender.
BAPS said it had taken the concerns raised by Eiffel Tower employees seriously and apologised for “any pain or inconvenience caused”.
The organisation said the visit had been arranged with the Eiffel Tower team at the start of normal operating hours because of the size of the delegation and to avoid disrupting other visitors.
It maintained that, to its knowledge, no one was denied access to the Eiffel Tower and said it remained committed to mutual respect and service.
The Eiffel Tower was expected to reopen on Tuesday, 8th September 2026 following discussions between staff and management.