Pay raise guidelines lowered in Guangzhou

GUANGZHOU: Workers here could have their wages cut under a new salary guideline designed to take pressure off businesses during the financial crisis.

According to Guangdong's corporate salary guideline for 2009, the standard salary increase has been set at 7 percent this year, compared to 15 percent in 2008.

The upper limit is 12 percent, compared with 21 percent for 2008. The lower limit is zero or even negative, compared with a 5.5 percent increase in 2008. The guideline did not specify by how much a wage could be reduced.