The staff of Mont-Saint-Michel in France is on strike, bothered by the wet conditions and the stairs to the monument

Mont-Saint-Michel – A portion of the staff at the Mont-Saint-Michel abbey, one of the most visited French monuments, is on strike due to unsatisfactory working conditions. Every morning, they must climb 350 steps to get to work and spend most of the day standing, often in windy and very humid conditions. The famous monument is located on a small rocky island off the coast of Normandy, reports the AFP agency.

The path to the fortified town in northwest France, which is visited by three million tourists annually, is along an embankment regularly flooded by the sea. Just like the tourists, the employees must climb the stairs, and due to the connection to the shuttle, they only have ten minutes to do so. They are also bothered by the low recognition of their language skills and, in their opinion, the insufficient number of staff. They are calling for improvements in working conditions and investments that correspond to the popularity of the tourist attraction.

"It’s a beautiful office, but poorly heated,” remarks one of the workers ironically after being battered by rain for several hours. One of his colleagues continues to go to work, although he claims to support the union's demands.

The morning climb up the stairs to the monastery, "the tours and standing work have caused all of us problems with our knee or ankle joints,” complains Herminia Amadorová Chaconová, a member of the CGT trade union organization. "When we arrive by shuttle for employees, we only have ten minutes to climb to Mont-Saint-Michel and open the entire area for the public. Every day we open late because it's simply not physically possible,” says Amadorová Chaconová.

Since December 26, about a quarter of the 55 employees at the monastery have been on strike. Since then, the church building on the rock has shortened its opening hours and is sometimes open, but entry is free. Guided tours have also been canceled, as visitors learn from a sign along the path leading to the monument.

Some tourists are disappointed by the unexpected closure. A young couple, Lise and Thomas, came from the village of Flers, 85 kilometers away, but were unable to reach the mountain. "They are definitely not striking for no reason,” they comment on the inconvenience. Solène, who arrived from Paris with her family a few hours later, was pleasantly surprised by the free entry. "If possible, we would give that money directly to the employees at the exit,” says Solène.

The abbey on the tidal island of Mont-Saint-Michel in northwest France is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Mont-Saint-Michel is a granite island standing 80 meters high, surrounded by liquid sand during low tide. The remarkable natural phenomenon, gothic monastery, and other sights make it the most popular French tourist destination after Paris.