Eiffel Tower Operator Chief to Step Down Over Exclusion Incident
The head of the company operating the Eiffel Tower will depart at year's end following an investigation into the exclusion of female staff during a visit by a Hindu religious group.
Patrick Branco Ruivo, director general of the Société d’Exploitation de la tour Eiffel (SETE), announced his departure following an independent investigation that identified operational failures related to a Sept. 5 visit by the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a worldwide religious organization.
The investigation found that female staff were excluded during the BAPS delegation's visit, which Ruivo described as an "unacceptable situation." The exclusion prompted anger among staff at the iconic landmark, leading to a strike on Sept. 7 that closed the Eiffel Tower.
Union officials called management's instructions regarding the exclusion "unacceptable." The BAPS group was in Paris to mark the inauguration of a traditional Hindu stone temple.
Ariel Weil, chair of SETE, stated that measures and training programs promoting gender equality are being implemented. Ruivo was appointed to his position at the end of 2018.
This is not the first time the 137-year-old tower has been closed due to industrial action. In February 2024, the Eiffel Tower was shut for six days when employees went on strike over demands for better maintenance and higher wages.
The Eiffel Tower, standing at 330 meters (1,083 feet), attracts approximately 7 million visitors annually.