Employees of the Big C Supermarket held a demonstration in front of the supermarket on July 7 as part of a dispute with the supermarket’s landlord in Danang.
Big C's employees gather outside Vinh Trung Plaza
Vice chairman of Danang City Ho Ky Minh arrived at the scene to deal with the case. A meeting with Big C and their landlord, Duc Manh Company is being held in order to ease tension.
Nguyen Nu To Nga, manager of Big C Supermarket in Danang said the supermarket has a 40-year lease at Vinh Trung Plaza which began in 2006. However the Duc Manh Company issued a notice of termination of the lease in last November. After sending the notification, the Duc Manh Company then attempted to recover the space without explanation.
In February, the mother company of Big C Danang branch, Espace Big C Hai Phong, sued Duc Manh Company at Vietnam International Arbitration Centre.
While waiting for response from the centre, Duc Manh closed down all entrances, stairs and even stopped providing water. Other shops in the plaza also had to buy clean water from other places. On July 7, Duc Manh set up a barrier to prevent Big C's employees from entering the building.
Nguyen Nu To Nga said they had filed complaints everywhere. In March, Danang's Department of Civil Judgement Enforcement asked Duc Manh to stop preventing and hindering Big C's business to no avail.