Recruiting in China

HUAWEI Technologies Co Ltd has agreed to suspend its controversial "voluntary resignation" scheme after talks with trade unions, the All China Federation of Trade Unions said on Saturday.

The federation said it called on China's biggest maker of telecommunications network equipment to protect workers' interests after its plan sparked fears that the company was trying to sidestep a new labor law.

The federation and union organizations in Guangdong Province and Shenzhen City, where Huawei is headquartered, called on Huawei to solicit workers' opinions and respect their rights while making regulations related to their benefits.

Huawei would soon hold a workers' conference to review the interim regulations, sources with the ACFTU said. A company source confirmed, on condition of anonymity, that they had reached a consensus with the trade unions.

He said the company agreed to suspend the plan, but the exact date to implement it will be decided after workers' opinions were solicited at the conference since the plan was launched with their consent.

Huawei initiated a plan, calling for its staff who have worked for eight consecutive years to hand in "voluntary resignations," according to Nanfang Daily.

The staff would have to compete for their posts, and sign new labor contracts with the firm once they were re-employed, while those who lost out would receive compensation.

On Friday, officials with the Shenzhen Federation of Trade Unions met with a Huawei vice president and they reached a consensus on three issues.