Mapping Labour Unions in Pakistan Section Two Understanding Practices, Experiences and Engagements: Findings from the Field 2.1. Internal Mechanisms and Practices The section seeks to highlight practices of trade unions in the backdrop of the key challenges of resource constraints, lack of internal democracy, capacity deficits and most importantly absence of women and youth in trade union cadres. There has been a detailed analysis of the deficits of trade unions concerning internal democracy, leadership and management practices, and capacities. Those critiques can be accessed in the available literature, particularly in the work done by Sabir Ghayur. This section presents trade unions own account of their practices related to internal mechanisms. Resource Base A registered union that is also a CBA can acquire an office space by the employer subject to a formal agreement between management and union. In addition, subject to agreement between employers and union, the office bearers of the CBA union are allowed time off by the employers to dedicate a certain number of hours of the workday to union activities. However, all this is incumbent upon an agreement with the employers and are not the right or entitlements of unions. An office and infrastructure not supported by employers are understandably likely to add to the cost of the unions. In those cases, unions buy or rent space near the industrial area or wherever their organisation is located and use it as their office. After working hours, they meet there and work on their plans. Unions also find support from civil society organisations that lend their space for a basic office set up to trade unions. This was seen in the case of the trade union of the lady health workers that was supported by NOW Communities for basic infrastructure facilities. 21