The head of the company that operates the Eiffel Tower will resign at the end of the year. This came after female employees of the iconic Paris landmark were barred from attending a visit by a Hindu religious organization. UNN reports this, citing AP.
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Patrick Branco Ruivo, CEO of Société d'Exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE), will leave his position after an investigation conducted by an independent firm revealed a number of operational violations related to the September 5 visit.
These violations resulted in "female employees being excluded from the visit that day, which is an unacceptable situation," according to a SETE statement dated September 29. Ruivo was appointed at the end of 2018.
The Eiffel Tower, visited by 7 million people annually, was closed on September 7 due to a staff strike in protest against what a union representative called "unacceptable" management directives.
Anger among employees of the 330-meter landmark intensified after management told staff that female employees should not have contact with a delegation from the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha organization.
The organization, known as BAPS, is a worldwide religious and civic organization within the Swaminarayan sect, a branch of Hinduism, the publication writes. It held celebrations to mark the opening of a traditional Hindu stone temple in Paris.
At the time of the incident, BAPS said in a statement to the Associated Press: "This coordination was undertaken solely for reasons of operational courtesy and logistics, to ensure the smooth visit of a large group of people without inconvenience to tower staff or the public. It was never intended as a gender-based request."
Ariel Weil, head of SETE, said Tuesday that he had requested the implementation of measures and training programs promoting gender equality.
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This is not the first time the 137-year-old tower has been closed because of a strike. In February 2024, it was closed for six days due to striking employees who demanded improved maintenance of the historic landmark and higher wages.