Eiffel Tower staff swap sparks strike
Investigation after female staff at Eiffel Tower replaced by men for religious visit
Tuesday, 8 September 2026
Warm-up
- Have you visited a famous landmark? What was it like?
- What rules at work or school feel fair to you? Why?
- When should visitors follow local rules in your country?
Vocabulary
- investigation
- an official check to find out what happened and why
- delegation
- a group of people who visit or act for a larger group
- strike
- a stop in work by staff to show protest or demand change
- apologise
- to say sorry for causing a problem or hurt
- unacceptable
- not OK or not allowed
- equality
- the idea that people should be treated the same
- values
- important ideas that guide how a group behaves
- manager
- a person who leads a team or place of work
Reading
France has launched an investigation after female staff at the Eiffel Tower were replaced by male colleagues during a visit on Saturday. A delegation of around 100 people linked to the BAPS Hindu group toured the Paris landmark. Some women said they were asked to leave their places of work and told not to cross certain areas. Staff felt humiliated and called a strike on Monday, so the tower closed for a day.
Ariel Weil, the president of the company that runs the tower, blamed managers for being overzealous. He called the incident "totally shocking and unacceptable", and said rules must ensure it never happens again. The operator said the limits on women did not match its values or equality. BAPS later wrote that the trip was arranged to avoid disruption and apologised for any pain caused.
Comprehension
- Why did the Eiffel Tower close on Monday?
- Who visited the tower on Saturday?
- What were some female staff told during the visit?
- Who said the incident was totally shocking and unacceptable?
- What did BAPS say after the visit?
Grammar focus
Uncountable nouns
Uncountable nouns name things we cannot count (no plural -s). Use words like 'some', 'much' or the noun alone. Examples use single, non-plural forms. (Examples constructed.)
- Staff said they felt **humiliation** after the visit.
- Visitors showed **respect** for staff during the tour.
Grammar exercise
Choose the correct option in each sentence.
- Staff asked for (information / informations) about the visit.
- The operator promised to protect (equalities / equality).
- Staff felt (humiliation / humiliations) and called a strike.
- Visitors showed (respects / respect) to staff.
- There was little (evidence / evidences) of a rule change.
Discussion
- Have you ever seen men and women kept separate? Where and how?
- How should managers respond when staff feel humiliated?
- What does equality at work mean in your country?
- When is an apology enough, and when is action needed?
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