▲ The Eiffel Tower reopens after a one-day strike protesting restrictions imposed on female employees during a visit by a Hindu delegation in Paris on September 8.
The head of the operating company for the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, which sparked controversy after female employees were excluded from work during a Hindu group's visit, has announced his resignation by the end of this year to take responsibility for the incident.
According to the daily Le Monde, Patrick Branco Ruivo, CEO of SETE, the management and operating company of the Eiffel Tower, expressed his intention to step down at the end of this year on September 29 (local time).
He has served as the CEO of SETE since 2018.
His resignation is linked to an incident on September 5 when female employees were barred from their duties during a visit to the Eiffel Tower by members of BAPS, a conservative Hindu denomination.
At the time, the Hindu delegation requested that female staff be removed during their visit, and SETE accepted the demand, resulting in the exclusion of the female employees.
This incident led to a strike by all Eiffel Tower staff, causing the closure of Paris's iconic landmark for a day.
SETE, which conducted an internal investigation, stated in a release that "a series of operational problems and flaws were revealed in the setup of the protocol visit schedule and the organization of the visiting event, which led to the unacceptable situation where female staff were excluded on the day of the visit."
CEO Branco Ruivo decided to step down following these investigative findings.
In a letter sent to employees, he stated, "I have never once given instructions to exclude or replace women along the tour route of this delegation," while adding, "Nevertheless, in the current situation, I am the one who must bear the responsibility, and I am well aware that my responsibility is great."
SETE is a local public institution owned 99 percent by the City of Paris and 1 percent by the Metropolis of Greater Paris, operating under a public service delegation contract with the City of Paris for the operation, maintenance, and visitor management of the Eiffel Tower.
The current contract runs until 2031.
A City of Paris official stated, "It is now most important to prepare for a leadership change under the best conditions, draw sufficient lessons from this incident, and ensure that such an unacceptable event never happens again."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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