article: The Eiffel Tower has been closed after workers walked out in support of the unions strike against the government's austerity measures. The nationwide strike follows action by French air traffic controllers which involved a two-day walkout starting yesterday. Now workers at the most visited paid monument in the world have joined the walkout in a solidarity with the thousands taking to the streets across the country in union-led protests against public spending cuts. Signs were placed at the foot of the Eiffel Tower warning that the landmark was closed due to strike action . There are an average 25,000 ascents at the tower every day, and at €15.50 (£11.25) a ticket, the closure will cost Paris tourism almost €387,500 (£280,000) in entry fees, excluding gifts bought and food and drink sales. Speaking to The Local, union representative Stephane Dieu said that '90 per cent' of staff had voted to strike and that signs had been placed at the foot of the tower to ensure 'tourists don't hang around for nothing.' The marches nationwide with a main rally in Paris are a test of how much support unions can muster over spending curbs which they claim undermine public service and purchasing power to the detriment of the euro zone's second-largest economy. Charles de Gaulle Airport, pictured, and other French hubs are being affected by strike action . Local media said staff who man Paris's Eiffel Tower would keep it shut it until 6pm local time as part of the strike. Representative of CGT union, one of the unions who voted to strike, Stéphane God, told AFP that the Tower is expected to be shut for 18 hours in total . Unions said they expected tens of thousands of marchers to join the main rally in Paris by the end of the day. The strike by air controllers has been called because the French air traffic union says their controllers are expected to retire later than their counterparts elsewhere in western Europe. The walk-out is one of a series planned this month, with more industrial action from April 16 to 18 and another walk-out between April 29 and May 2. Plans for the original strike on March 25 were suspended after the fatal Germanwings crash in the French Alps. The Eiffel Tower is due to reopen to the public at around 6pm this evening . Local reports claim turnout across the country is mixed, with just 1,000 taking to the streets in Strabourg, while Toulouse reported 8,000 attending demonstrations. 'We are here ... to get a change of direction from this government which claims it is left-wing,' said CGT official Pierre Tommasi of a march which included hospital, research and transport sector staff. As well as being the most popular paid-for landmark in the world, the Eiffel Tower is also the most popular spot in the world for a selfie picture. Tourist attraction site AttractionTix analysed social media to find mentions of travel hotspots alongside the world 'selfie', and have compiled a list of the most popular places to pose for a self-taken self portrait. At the top of the list was the Eiffel Tower in Paris, with more than 10,700 posts found so far in 2015, ahead of Disney World in Orlando, Florida and the world's tallest building - the Burj Khalifa - in Dubai.
highlights: Strike actions comes a day after French air traffic controllers walked out .
  Workers joining forces to stand up against governments austerity plans .
  There are around 25,000 ascents up the tower each day .
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