Eiffel Tower shut by staff strike over female workers being moved for religious visit
Staff at the Eiffel Tower went on strike after female employees were reportedly replaced by male colleagues to accommodate a visit by a Hindu religious group that practices strict gender separation. Paris officials have condemned the incident as unacceptable and launched an investigation into the management's decision.
Why it matters
The incident raises significant questions about the conflict between religious accommodation and workplace equality/labor rights in a secular state.
Image source, Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD/ Getty Images Image caption, A delegation of BAPS Hindu monks visited the Eiffel Tower on Saturday as part of a visit to Paris to open a new temple
An investigation has been launched in France after female staff at the Eiffel Tower were replaced by male colleagues for the visit of a Hindu religious group.
A delegation of around 100 people linked to the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) group visited the iconic landmark in Paris on Saturday.
"Women were asked to leave their places of work" and felt "humiliated", staff union representative Diane Davoine said. The tower closed on Monday as staff went on strike to show their outrage.
BAPS - a movement whose beliefs originate in the 18th Century - strictly separates men and women, including in temple activities and building entrances.
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