Hundreds of traders in Hanoi’s Bat Trang pottery market protested on November 5 against the market’s management board for irrational leasing prices and conditions.
Traders go on strike
All the protestors closed their kiosks and made apologies to their clients for the halt.
The Bat Trang pottery market was built in 2004 in a collaboration between Bat Trang potters and Bat Trang Ceramic Joint- Stock Company or Hapro Bat Trang, currently the market’s management board.
According to their agreement, Hapro Bat Trang had land and villagers contributed capital for the construction of the market, with an initial area of 13.5 square metres per kiosk. Traders signed stall leasing contracts with Bat Trang Co-operative, set up by traders.
Phung Thi Phin, 71, from Bat Trang Village, owner of a stall at the market, said traditionally their kiosks were not separated, and traders had to upgrade their stalls with their own money.
In 2009, when traders’ five-year leasing contracts expired, Hapro Bat Trang requested them to sign new contracts with the company, instead of through intermediaries, at higher prices.
Vietnam Plus cited Nguyen Manh Hung, deputy head of the market’s managing board, a trader at the market, as saying that leasing prices were only from VND200,000-VND300,000 (USD9.58-USD14.38) per booth per month for the first five years. However, the prices reached over VND60,000 (USD2.87) per square metre after 2009.
The traders have thus far refused the new contract.
The situation got worse since October 26 when five traders in the market received notices from the Hanoi-based Dong Tien Thanh Joint Stock Company that it has signed a contract to hire five kiosks in the market.
“They asked us to move by November 5 or they would apply coercive measures,” Hung shared.
All traders at the market were worried and angry when over 50 "gangsters" came to the market on November 2 to intimidate villagers, which was the incident that forced the traders to go on strike.
According to an undisclosed source, Hapro Bat Trang has not yet received payment from traders the last two months as they did not sign a new leasing contract.
After their protest on November 5, local police arrived to ensure security in the area.
On the same afternoon a meeting was held between local traders, Hapro Bat Trang and local authorities to find a solution to the dispute.
Stalls halt operation
Craftsman Nguyen Manh Hung angry for his stall being rented without his agreement
