The Eiffel Tower workers have been on a renewable strike for 24 hours now. During school holidays, the Parisian “iron lady” is therefore closed to the public. What is unexpected are the reasons for this strike.
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Eiffel Tower workers are not striking to be paid more or to obtain better working conditions. No, above all they want to defend their monument which would be in danger! Indeed, the CGT and Force Ouvrière accuse the Paris town hall, which owns 99% of the Eiffel Tower operating company, of poor financial management.
Tripled royalty
With the Olympic Games approaching and counting on an increase in attendance, the town hall has decided to triple the fee that the famous metal tower will have to pay, i.e. 50 million euros. Problem, according to the unions, the estimates of the number of visitors established by the city of Paris are quite fanciful. And above all, with so many millions of euros less allocated, the question of financing the work, although essential, arises.
Fourteen years without new paint
It has been fourteen years since the Parisian tower was repainted, compared to the usual seven years. Some work, postponed due to Covid-19, has still not been carried out. Finally, according to several employees, there is visible rust on the feet of the monument, proof of its disrepair. While waiting for a possible agreement with the Paris town hall, employees assume responsibility for disappointing visitors to guarantee the future of the “iron lady”.
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