Why Eiffel Tower Employees Are on Strike After Hindu Group BAPS’ Visit

The Eiffel Tower was closed on Monday, September 7, after staff went on strike over allegations that female employees were sidelined during a private visit by a delegation linked to the Hindu organisation Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS). The dispute has prompted an investigation and criticism from French officials, while the Eiffel Tower's operating company acknowledged that the conditions imposed for the visit should not have been accepted.

The private visit involved around 100 people and took place last week as BAPS representatives were in France for celebrations linked to the inauguration of the organisation's first major temple in the country, BBC reported. Staff said female employees were asked to leave certain posts, were replaced by men at some locations and were instructed not to cross specific areas while the delegation was present. Eiffel Tower Closes Temporarily After Female Staff Sidelined During Hindu Delegation's Visit.

Why Eiffel Tower Staff Went On Strike

Eiffel Tower employees said they were shocked by what they described as instructions that effectively removed female workers from parts of the landmark during the BAPS visit. In a statement, staff condemned "professional instructions that led to female employees being sidelined, replaced, and rendered invisible based on their gender" during the visit by the delegation.

"Instructions were given to female employees of the Eiffel Tower and to female employees of contractors to make themselves invisible in order to welcome this delegation," the staff said in their statement, adding they were shocked to have been put in such a situation.

"Some were asked to leave their posts and withdraw to other areas. In some posts they were replaced by men. And all female employees were instructed not to go through or cross certain areas while the delegation was present." The protest resulted in the Eiffel Tower remaining closed throughout Monday, September 7. The landmark was expected to reopen under normal conditions on Tuesday.

What SETE Said About The BAPS Visit

SETE, the company operating the Eiffel Tower, acknowledged that the BAPS delegation had requested arrangements designed to limit "interactions with women". The company said that "these conditions should not have been accepted."

The conditions "were not in line with SETE's values, nor with the principles of equality between men and women," the company said, promising to accept the "consequences."

"It is clearly not an acceptable practice. I restate the Eiffel Tower's commitment to republican values and to the equality of men and women," SETE president Ariel Weil, who is also a socialist elected official in Paris, told news agency AFP. Weil said the company would establish what happened and draw the necessary conclusions. Paris authorities have also said the matter would be investigated.

What BAPS Said After The Protest

BAPS, which consecrated its first major temple in France on Sunday near Paris, issued a statement following the controversy. The organisation said it respected the concerns raised by Eiffel Tower staff and took them seriously.

"Given the size of our delegation, the visit was organised in coordination with the Eiffel Tower teams at the start of normal opening hours in order to limit as much as possible any disruption for other visitors. To our knowledge, at no time was access to the Eiffel Tower denied to anyone," the statement read.

"Nevertheless, we wish to offer our sincere apologies to anyone who may have been hurt or inconvenienced by this situation. We are deeply committed to the universal values of mutual respect and service to others," it added. BAPS did not, in the statement, specifically address each of the allegations made by Eiffel Tower employees but apologised for any harm or inconvenience caused by the situation.

Why The Visit Took Place

The BAPS delegation was in France as part of events surrounding the inauguration of a major Hindu temple in Bussy-Saint-Georges, in the Seine-et-Marne region near Paris. The organisation also held a cultural boat procession on the Seine around the time of the Eiffel Tower visit.

The private Eiffel Tower visit involved approximately 100 members of the delegation and was organised around the monument's normal opening hours, according to BAPS.

French Officials Condemn The Arrangement

The dispute has drawn criticism from French political figures, who said arrangements based on gender were inconsistent with the country's principles of equality.

Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said it was unacceptable for the conditions requested by the delegation to have been accepted and called for an investigation.

The incident has also raised broader questions about how public institutions should handle requests from private or religious groups when those requests conflict with workplace equality principles.

Eiffel Tower Reopening After Strike

The Eiffel Tower was closed for the entire day on September 7 because of the staff strike. Management and employee representatives held discussions during the day, with a staff representative saying the landmark would reopen normally on September 8.

The immediate dispute has therefore moved beyond the private visit itself, with attention now focused on the investigation, the responsibility for the instructions given to employees and what measures SETE will take to prevent a similar situation.

The Wider Equality Debate

The controversy has placed workplace gender equality at the centre of a dispute involving one of France's most recognisable public landmarks.

SETE has acknowledged that accommodating a request to limit interactions with female employees was inconsistent with its stated principles. BAPS, meanwhile, has apologised to anyone affected and reiterated its commitment to mutual respect and service. The investigation is expected to clarify how the arrangements were approved and implemented during the private visit.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 08, 2026 08:50 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).