The chief executive of the organization overseeing the Eiffel Tower will resign by year-end following an incident where female employees were excluded during a visit by a Hindu religious group in Paris. Patrick Branco Ruivo, the director general of Société d’Exploitation de la tour Eiffel, will step down after an independent investigation revealed operational shortcomings during the visit on September 5, leading to the exclusion of female staff, deemed unacceptable by the company.
The iconic Eiffel Tower, a popular tourist destination attracting seven million visitors annually, faced closure on September 7 due to a staff strike in response to what union representatives called unacceptable management directives. Tensions escalated as management instructed that female employees should not interact with the delegation from Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a global religious and civic organization of the Swaminarayan sect within Hinduism, celebrating the inauguration of a traditional Hindu stone temple in Paris.
BAPS clarified that they never requested the exclusion or removal of female employees during the visit. They explained that their religious practices, followed by their monks, do not necessitate the exclusion of women from their surroundings. The group emphasized that these practices are personal spiritual commitments and are not intended to be imposed on others.
In response to the incident, Ariel Weil, the chair of the operating company, announced plans to introduce measures and training initiatives promoting gender equality within the organization. This closure of the Eiffel Tower due to industrial action is not unprecedented, as it was previously shut down for six days in February 2024 due to employee strikes demanding better maintenance and higher wages for the historic landmark.