Eiffel Tower Shut Down By Striking Workers For Third Day

PARIS (AP) Striking workers again closed down the Eiffel Tower on Wednesday, the third day running that the landmark expected to be at the heart of celebrations for the Paris Olympics has been off-limits to visitors.

A message on the towers website also warned of more possible disruptions Thursday, if strikers continue their push for salary hikes and other concessions.

We apologize for the inconvenience, the message said.

One of the strikers representatives, Denis Vavassori of the CGT union, has previously warned that their protest action could go on for several days, even weeks. The operator of the 330-meter (1,083-foot) tower has not responded to requests for comment.

Striking employees are demanding a salary increase proportionate to revenue from ticket sales. They also want to improve maintenance of the 135-year-old tower, which is showing traces of rust on some of its ironwork.

The tower will feature prominently in the July 26-Aug. 11 Paris Games and the following Paralympics. The Olympic and Paralympic medals in Paris are being embedded with a piece of the Eiffel Tower in the middle.

Union leaders have repeatedly criticized the tower operators business model, saying its based on an inflated estimate of future visitor numbers, at the expense of maintenance costs and employees pay.

The Eiffel Tower is typically open 365 days a year.

Last year, the monument was closed to visitors for 10 days during massive protests across France against the governments plan to reform the countrys pension system.