Eiffel Tower shuts down as workers strike over ticket plan

The Eiffel Tower had more than six million visitors last year (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Eiffel Tower workers have gone on strike over the Paris monument’s new visitor access policy, which they say is responsible for inordinately long queues.

The website of the French landmark confirmed the strike on Wednesday afternoon, but did not specify how long it would last.

Since last month, the Eiffel Tower has been allowing half of its tickets to be booked in advance for scheduled entry times.

Previously, pre-booked tickets accounted for around one-fifth of the entries.

Unions that represent the tower’s 300 employees have complained that the different ticketholders are being allocated separate lifts, saying this has created “monstrous” waiting times.

The Eiffel Tower had more than six million visitors last year but has been beset by multiple strikes and security issues in recent years.