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Baidu in talks with workers on strike over pay [reuters.com]Executives of China's top Internet search company Baidu Inc (BIDU.O) talked this weekend with striking workers who are angry about salary cuts and new sales commission policies that they say could force them out of their jobs, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.
Hundreds of Baidu employees in southern China have either stayed home or gone to the office and refused to work since May 4, the Journal reported.
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Several striking workers spoke anonymously to the Journal, saying that Baidu cut sales agents' base salaries by about 30 percent from 4,000 yuan ($590). One worker said Baidu "wants us to feel uncomfortable and choose to leave the company voluntarily," the Journal reported.
Baidu Workers Call Off Strike [online.wsj.com]Workers at Baidu Inc. in two southern Chinese cities said they called off their strike Monday, although they said hadn't reached any immediate agreement with the Internet search company over complaints about compensation.
Representatives of several hundred employees at the two southern offices of Baidu, which runs China's top search site, finished meetings on Monday with executives from the company's Beijing headquarters, including the head of human resources and an assistant to Robin Li, the company's chief executive. They plan to give the company two to three days to come up with a fair response, and will decide what to do after that.
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In a statement, Baidu said the new policies are nationwide policies designed to "incentivize our sales force and promote healthy growth in the long-term." "While there are some issues with certain employees in parts of our operation, we are currently addressing the issues and expect a prompt resolution," the company said.
Staff strike hits Baidu makeover bid [english.people.com.cn]Although a strike by hundreds of Baidu's workers in two southern Chinese cities came to nothing, the rare incident has brought to the fore the problems that have beset the popular search engine since the false medical ad scandal surfaced last year.
