As well as leading the way in low-cost production, South Korea is getting a less welcome reputation as a hotbed of trades union militancy, and Motorola Inc is by no means the only US company to feel the full force of it (CI No 1,085): that last bastian against the forces of organised labour, IBM itself, is strikebound in Korea after it took a decision to stop paying the salary of the trade union leader at the subsidiary – IBM policy is to refuse recognition to unions where it is not illegal to do so.
