Strike over finances closes Paris’s Eiffel Tower

Visits to the Eiffel Tower were disrupted on Monday because of a strike over poor financial management of the monument, which is one of the world’s most-visited sites.

The hugely popular 300-metre (984-foot) landmark in central Paris has seen soaring visitor numbers in the lead-up to the Summer Olympics in the French capital.

Tourists planning to visit the Eiffel Tower on Monday were warned of disruptions in multiple languages on the monument’s website. They advised visitors to check the website before heading to the monument or to postpone their visit.

The Eiffel Tower is typically open 365 days a year, but it is occasionally affected by strikes. In December, the monument was closed to visitors for an entire day during Christmas and New Year’s holidays because of a strike over contract negotiations.

Stephane Dieu of the CGT union, which represents a large number of the Eiffel Tower’s employees, said Monday’s strike is aimed at a salary increase in proportion to the incoming revenue from ticket sales and improved maintenance of the monument, which is owned by the Paris municipality.

“They are giving priority to short term benefits over long term conservation of the monument and the well-being of the company we are working for,” Mr Dieu said at the Eiffel Tower picket line on Monday.

American tourist Marisa Solis said: “We’re a little disappointed but we understand that people deserve a fair wage and they deserve proper working conditions.”