A strike at the Eiffel Tower turns visitors away for the second day

By OLEG CETINIC
Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — A strike at the Eiffel Tower over poor financial management has turned away visitors for the second consecutive day. Denis Vavassori of the CGT union, which represents a large number of the Eiffel Tower’s employees, said its members voted unanimously to extend the strike on Tuesday. He said employees were willing to persist until their demands are met but hope to reach an agreement with the Paris municipality, the monument’s owner, before the start of the Summer Games. The landmark in central Paris has seen soaring visitor numbers in the lead-up to the Olympics. Vavassori told AP that the strike could last for days or even weeks. Union leaders have repeatedly criticized the operator’s business model, saying it’s based on an inflated estimate of future visitor numbers.