Employees go on strike and the Eiffel Tower closes its doors

Mondo Tourism Updated on 2024-02-23

Recently, a sign was erected in front of the Eiffel Tower, a landmark building in Paris, France, announcing that the tower was temporarily closed due to a strike and apologizing to tourists. This is the second time in two months that the Eiffel Tower has been blocked by its employees.

On February 19, local time, the staff of the Eiffel Tower went on strike, ** the financial management of the Eiffel Tower.

According to the report, the strike was carried out in order to mismanage the Eiffel Tower's finances and operations. The CGT, which represents the employees of the Eiffel Tower, said that the business strategy of the Eiffel Tower Operation Management Company (SETE) was problematic, ignoring the cost of maintenance work while being overly optimistic about future visitor numbers and ticket revenues**. CGT called on the City of Paris**, which holds a 99% stake in SETE, to properly manage its financial problems to ensure the long-term stability of the tower's operations.

On December 27 last year, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the death of tower designer Eiffel, tower employees went on strike against the "outrageous operation" of **SETE. In the epidemic caused the closure of the tower and the decrease in tourists, the loss of tickets was as high as 1In the case of 300 million euros, SETE has instead increased the "royalties" paid to the City of Paris**. In addition, the strikers also expressed concern about the state of maintenance of the tower. According to the union representative, the current tower maintenance plan can be called "DIY", and the old and outdated facilities are not replaced, but only minor repairs. Whenever employees propose improvements, the top management pushes the buck. It has been 14 years since I spray paint, which was supposed to be done every 7 years. Not only is this detrimental to tourists, but it also increases the workload of employees and endangers their personal safety.

Affected by the strike, SETE issued a notice on the 20th, advising tourists to confirm the opening status in time or visit another day. One U.S. tourist said he was disappointed, but he understood the employees' demands for pay equity and a better working environment. A Dutch tourist with his family was so unhappy that he had paid 30 euros for each ticket. "It's not a small amount. Tourists should not be caught up in their disputes. A nearby souvenir vendor said he lost about 400 euros for every week the tower was closed.

Comprehensive report by Beijing Business Daily.

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