The Eiffel Tower in Paris is set to welcome visitors again on Sunday following a six-day closure prompted by strikes. Employees initiated the walkout on Monday, citing concerns about the tower’s management. Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel (SETE), the tower’s operator, announced that an agreement with unions had been reached on Saturday. This marks the second strike at the iconic landmark in the past three months, coinciding with Paris’s preparations to host the 2024 Olympic Games this summer.
SETE apologized to affected ticket holders and pledged reimbursement for impacted bookings, resulting in approximately 100,000 lost admissions. The powerful Confédération Générale du Travail (CGT) union asserted that the strike was a response to SETE’s business model, alleging inflated future visitor projections and underestimated maintenance and renovation costs. Stéphane Dieu, representing the union, accused SETE of prioritizing short-term profitability.
Workers participating in the strike have voiced apprehension about the condition of the monument. According to Le Monde, the Eiffel Tower has not undergone repainting for 14 years, twice the usual interval of seven years, and other maintenance projects have fallen behind schedule. Originally scheduled for five days, this week’s strike was extended to Saturday after the CGT announced that staff had voted against SETE’s initial proposal on Friday.
The strikes fell during the second week of the French school holidays
SETE announced on Saturday that it had reached an agreement with the unions. The agreement includes regular monitoring of the company’s business model, investment in infrastructure, and revenue through a body that will convene every six months. Both parties have committed to balancing the books by 2025, and an investment of approximately €380m (£325m) until 2031 has been agreed upon for maintenance and improvement projects. French Culture Minister Rachida Dati proposed on Thursday that the Eiffel Tower be designated a “historical monument,” potentially allowing state support for necessary repairs. This recent closure is the second in the past three months, with the previous one occurring on 27 December, marking the centenary of the death of the tower’s creator, Gustave Eiffel, as workers protested against its management.
A renowned civil engineer, Eiffel gained recognition for constructing bridges and viaducts for the French railway network. However, his most iconic achievement was the tower, conceived to showcase France’s cutting-edge industrial capabilities on a global platform during the 1889 Paris Exposition, also known as the world’s fair. Erected in just over two years, it held the title of the world’s tallest structure at the time and swiftly became an emblematic symbol of the French capital.
