"Hidden," "made invisible," invited to "stay in certain rooms." In their place, on the third floor of the Eiffel Tower, are their male colleagues. The women who work at Paris's iconic monument are protesting, accusing management of having made them "disappear" because a delegation of high-ranking Indian dignitaries had requested this. These Hindu figures had been celebrating the inauguration of a new temple east of Paris in the streets for days, with parades and dances in traditional costumes. Yesterday, Sete, the company that manages the Eiffel Tower, reportedly requested and obtained permission for a delegation to visit the monument.
On the condition that they "disappear" the women employees. The workers protested and explained what had happened in a letter, while the unions demanded explanations from management, which denied the accusations. The story was brought to light by the newspaper Le Parisien, which reported that yesterday, during the large parade, with 14 floats parading between two wings of people, a delegation from the Hindu religious organization BAPS (Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha), organizer of the large event, requested access to a private tour of the monument . According to information from Le Parisien, the Indian visitors pressured the management of Sete, the Tower's management company, to "sideline" the female staff. A company official who witnessed the scene used the word "hidden."
At that point, management reportedly agreed to implement the unprecedented measure, allowing the delegation to ascend to the third floor, with only male staff representatives present. A letter from the employees confirms that instructions were issued to female employees of the Eiffel Tower and those of related companies to "keep quiet" when the delegation was welcomed. Some were asked to leave their posts and lock themselves in certain rooms, while others were simply replaced by their male colleagues. "All," the letter states, "were instructed not to pass through or pass through certain areas during the delegation's presence."
The response was swift: a general staff meeting was held this morning at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, and this afternoon the Tower was closed to tourists, although the management company has not officially confirmed whether the closure was prompted by the women's protest. For the employees, "such a situation is absolutely unacceptable. The Eiffel Tower is the symbol of France, and we believe this symbol should be exemplary in the values it represents and in the way its employees are treated." The unions are demanding "clear and precise explanations" from management regarding this accusation of "sexual discrimination." The Hindu organization behind the request, BAPS, is often accused of extreme conservatism and ties to Hindu nationalism. It is also said to be very close to President Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. According to the website Mediapart, the construction of the Hindu temple—a 3,500-square-meter site—cost over €21 million.
(Unioneonline)
