The Central Labour Relations Commission was established in 1946, and it was consolidated with the National Enterprise Labour Relations Commission in 1988. Since then, the Commission has intervened between the labor unions and employers, and carried out its duties as a regulating body to resolve labor disputes. Local Labour Relations Commissions are placed in each prefecture as prefectural administrative commissions. With the reorganization of central government ministries and agencies in January 2001, the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Health and Welfare were consolidated, and the Central Labour Relations Commission has continued its post as an external bureau of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.