Tourists have been unable to climb the Eiffel Tower in Paris for four days now due to a strike by employees. Dozens of workers demonstrated loudly in front of the landmark on Thursday and demanded better maintenance for it.
They say rust is gnawing away at the tower, even as the city authorities rake in millions from ticket sales and cut back on maintenance.
"It's been standing for 135 years, but how much longer?" read one of the banners. "Milk cow Eiffel Tower" read another poster, which showed the mayor of Paris milking the tower.
"The strike will continue until the city satisfies the workers," said the head of the CGT union, Sophie Binet, in front of the protesters on Thursday morning. "This mobilization is in everyone's interest, because it is about ensuring that the Eiffel Tower has a long-term future."
Binet called on Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo to negotiate with the employees.
Specifically, the issue at the moment is the repainting of the tower. Gustave Eiffel said that the structure would last forever if it was painted every seven years, but the strikers say that advice is no longer being followed.
The city denies this, saying that there was a maintenance break during the coronavirus pandemic and that lead had been discovered when removing old layers of paint, which had temporarily halted the work.
With just five months to go before the start of the Olympic Games in Paris, the strike at the Eiffel Tower is raising concerns about wider protests that could paralyse the city and the Games.
Last weekend a rail strike brought services in France to a standstill and further disruptions have been announced for the coming weekend. And the employees of the already overloaded metro in Paris have announced a possible strike for the entire Olympic period.
