Strike shuts down Eiffel Tower

The employees, who walked off the job at 3:00 pm (1300 GMT) Tuesday, are concerned about the expiration in 2005 of a concession agreement between SNTE, which runs the tower, and the city of Paris, which owns the property and the structure.

Workers have asked for a meeting with SNTE president Jean-Bernard Bros, who is also the French capital's deputy mayor in charge of tourism.

Some 15,000 people visit the 324-meter (1,070-foot) tower every day. The last strike at the monument dates back to 1998, when workers aired grievances about the 35-hour work week, management said.