Paris: Tourists discovering Paris for the first time this week have had an unwelcome introduction to France’s strike culture: a four-day stoppage at the Eiffel Tower has left thousands disappointed.
At the foot of the 1,063-feet Iron Lady, crowds milled around complaining about the lack of information and watching hopefully for the lifts to spark into life.
“Brilliant. It’s the full French experience!” said 46-year-old computer programmer Paul Freeman sarcastically after reading the sign announcing a fourth day of protests by the workers.
Amy Lee, 50, was puzzled, even amused, at the sight of a few dozen workers gathered around signs denouncing the management in front of what is normally a busy ticket office.
“We’re from Singapore and for us this would be illegal,” the homemaker said as she snapped a picture on her phone. “This is something that’s interesting.”
At this time of year, 6,000 people per day ascend the famed iron tower, completed in 1889, but the Christmas rush starts this weekend when as many as 20,000 are expected daily.
Some members of the radical left CGT and FO unions spearheading the action made their apologies to passing visitors, assuring them they had their best interests at heart.
“We have the feeling that the new management doesn’t want to provide the resources needed to maintain the Eiffel Tower,” FO representative Hatim Ababoussayr said. Three separate stoppages by 300-member workforce have disrupted activities at the monument this year.
The stoppage is not about pay rises, job cuts or working conditions—common complaints by trade unions.
It is rooted in French workplace culture, which has a rich history of protest and often sees workers also take issue with strategic management decisions.
France has by far most strike days among major European economies, according to data from European Trade Union Institute, with 149 days not worked per 1,000 employees in 2009-2015.
French labour law, which makes firing full-time workers extremely difficult, also places strict obligations on management to engage and communicate with union representatives.
“For several months, communication has been going nowhere,” CGT representative Denis Vavassori told reporters, saying staff were anxious to know management’s plan for next year.
Among projects under consideration are a major paint-stripping and re-painting job to repair flaking areas of the tower. “When you look at it from the Champ de Mars (the surrounding park), it’s a catastrophe,” says Vavassori, who says staff are worried about lead contamination from the old paint.
