Eiffel Tower workers have been on strike for two days in France with the call of labor unions. The tower, which is a popular tourist attraction in Paris, was closed to visitors due to the strike.
Tourists who came to Paris to climb the tower were contented with taking photos in front of the tower. According to reports in the national press, the strikers, who found the profit share demanded by the Paris Municipality from the SETE company, which undertakes the operation of the tower, high, demanded the municipality to ask for a reasonable fee.
Stephane Dieu, a representative of the General Labor Union (CGT), to which Eiffel Tower workers belong, said that they use the income from ticket sales to pay for the renovation of the monument, operating costs and to pay a profit share to the City of Paris.
Dieu stated that while in previous years they paid 8 million euros a year in dividends to the municipality, this figure has recently increased to 16 million euros. Stating that the municipality wants to increase this profit share to 50 million euros, Dieu pointed out that they already have a debt of 100 million euros due to the monument being closed during the epidemic.
Eiffel Tower employees went on strike on December 27, 2023 in response to SETE's financial policy. The Municipality of Paris is the largest shareholder of SETE, which owns 99 percent of its shares.
