Mapping Labour Unions in Pakistan a trade union amounts to the indulgence of the authority in the affairs of the union. 18 The Industrial Relations Act 2012 requires the establishment of two trade unions simultaneously in any establishment/industry. It also requires the third and following unions to have at least 20% of the workers employed as members. These provisions contradict the basic principle of freedom of association outlined in ILO conventions. 19 Lastly, despite an explicit mention and related institutional arrangements in the Sindh IRA, the right to unionise for the agriculture sector that engages 40% of Pakistan’s labour force, there are hardly any unions. In their response to the implementation of the ILO conventions(C11) in this case, the Government of Pakistan notes that as none of the Industrial Relations Legislation explicitly or implicitly restricts the freedom of association for agricultural workers, the agriculture workers continue to enjoy this right, also guaranteed under Article 17 of the 1973 Constitution. 20 1.4. Institutions Covering Trade Unions 1.4.1. National Industrial Relations Commission The National Industrial Relations Commission(NIRC) was established in 1972 by modifying the IRO 1969. It was founded as a quasi-judicial entity under the Labour Policy, 1972, to encourage genuine trade unionism by establishing industry-specific federations of unions and at the national level. 21 It has been sustained by subsequent acts such as IRO 2002, IRA 2008, IR0 2011 and is now established under Section 53 of IRA 2012. The NIRC supervises the relationships between businesses and employees. It addresses unfair labour practices by employers and employees, the resolution of industrial disputes, the registration of trans-provisional trade unions and unions in Islamabad, and the federation and designation of Collective 18."Ratified ILO Conventions& Legal Regime in Pakistan" at https://clr.org.pk/wp-content/ uploads/2021/06/Gap-Analysis.pdf 19. International Labour Standards Unit Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis& Human Resource Development"GSP-PLUS AND COMPLIANCE WITH CORE LABOUR STANDARDS: PAKISTAN’S CASE"at https://www.clr.org.pk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/GSP-Report­WEb-PDF-6-MAY.pdf 20."Ratified ILO Conventions& Legal Regime in Pakistan" at https://clr.org.pk/wp-content/ uploads/2021/06/Gap-Analysis.pdf 21.“Revamping the NIRC”, Dawn. October 21, 2002 at https://www.dawn.com/news/62685 12