This study examines the structural and functional features and institutional stability of enterprise unions in the Korean manufacturing sector in the late 1980s. Both the positive relationship between the proportion of unionized firms and firm size, and the distinct function of enterprise unions are identified and explained. The dramatic rise of the labor movement since mid-1987 undermined the institutional stability of Korean enterprise unions. Finally, a broad comparison of enterprise unions between Korea and Japan helps to clarify the distinct characteristics of Korean enterprise unions. The findings of this study call for further research in order to investigate diverse forms of enterprise unionism within and across Asian nations.
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