Unions have since made up for lost time, and even illegal strikes are tolerated at some of the big chaebol.

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So why didn't Vietnam crush the illegal strikes?

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Jin Young-OK, the vice-president of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, has been arrested and charged with organising illegal demonstrations and strikes.

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Secret balloting for strikes was made mandatory, secondary strikes made illegal and closed shops restricted.

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Under the Obama administration, Pakistan's parliament, in two different sessions, has declared the strikes both illegal and counter-productive.

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