Eiffel Tower Closed For Strike, Opens Again Thursday [Video]

The Eiffel Tower, closed for two days at the height of Paris tourism season, has opened again to visitors on Thursday.

On Tuesday and again on Wednesday, frustrated tourists lined up to visit the iconic French capital’s landmark — only to learn that the iconic symbol of Paris was closed as a result of a strike by the General Confederation of Labor union.

Workers closed the Eiffel Tower because they wanted better pay and better working conditions.

One of the landmark’s elevators hasn’t been repaired since a 2008 promise to fix renovate it. As a result, the long lines and angry, pushing visitors created an unpleasant work environment for the staff.

CNN posted the Eiffel Tower’s statement in English this morning, and it will come as a relief to tourists who would hate to leave Paris without a trip up to the top viewing platform:

“The Eiffel Tower will reopen to the public from Thursday June 27th at 9 a.m. Thank you for your understanding.”

According to a Huffington Post report, the Eiffel Tower normally averages around 25,000 tourists each day.

Although tourists were inconvenienced for a couple of days, apparently many of them were understanding. CNN said that curious visitors actually snapped photos of the striker’s signs around the base of the tower during the two-day strike.

HuffPo quoted a tourist from Spain, Ana Adrados, who acknowledged that she had to delay her visit to the tower until Thursday but she understood the purpose:

“I think having [labor] rights is for all the people all over the world.”

Most travelers will indeed put up with a certain amount of hassle to see the Eiffel Tower. I once went up when it was snowing. In February. Brrr!

Fortunately for the world, the Eiffel Tower was closed only briefly.

[Eiffel Tower photo via Wikimedia]