“It will undoubtedly still take a few hours”, but “the negotiations have progressed well”, assures the first deputy at Paris town hall

“It will probably still take a few hours, a few days perhaps, but the negotiations made good progress this Thursday”assures Emmanuel Grégoire, first deputy at Paris town hall, Thursday February 22 on franceinfo. “We will give them time on Friday to discuss and decide.”

Employees of the Eiffel Tower operating company (Sete), dissatisfied with the management of the site, have renewed their strike for a fourth consecutive day. Negotiations began at 2 p.m. and continued into the early evening. The inter-union meets on Friday at 9:30 a.m. to decide on the follow-up to the movement.

For his part, Emmanuel Grégoire wants to be reassuring and says “hear the concerns of employees”assures them “to understand” and the “share” and even promises to “answer”. Concerning the state of the Eiffel Tower, Emmanuel Grégoire describes it as “very good”, but recognizes that because it is made of iron “and it rusts” she is “to be constantly monitored and constantly renovated”. Emmanuel Grégoire assures that the City is doing everything necessary: “It’s a jewel. We take care of it like the apple of our eye.”

A “20th painting campaign”

The first deputy emphasizes that the famous monument “has benefited from historically high investments in recent years” and also knows its “20th painting campaign since it was built”. A campaign which will also be put “in parentheses at the time of the Olympics and which will continue after”.

Emmanuel Grégoire finally repeats being alongside worried employees: “They do not want the operating company to assume this financial risk alone, we tell them that the city of Paris will stand alongside the Eiffel Tower to assume the financial risk linked to the increase in costs that unfortunately no one has complete control over. “, he concludes.