Orient Research Journal of Social-Sciences ISSN Print 2616-7085

December 2016, Vol.1, No.2 [95-119] ISSN Online 2616-7093

Labour Movement in West Pakistan 1947-1958: A Perspective on Punjab
Shahbaz Ahmad1
Abstract
This paper explores the growth and development of Trade Union activities in
post-colonial Pakistan from 1947-58 and to address the problems of workers
in newly established Pakistan. The pioneering role of Mirza Muhammad
Ibrahim is highlighted who was the president of Pakistan Trade Union
Federation and Railway Workes Union of Railway Work Shops, Lahore. This
research is based on the analysis of the authentic material in the form of
literature from scholars and Government documents. At that time state was
not ready to accept the burden the demands of the workers. The state used
various coercive methods to prevent the struggle of the workers. The elitists’
state allied with United States of America to the issues of radical labour
movement and radicalization of workers struggle in Pakistan. This study
recommends that proper facilities and proper education should be provided to
the workers.

Key Words: Leftist; Trade Unions; State; Progressive

Introduction
This study focuses on trade union activism in Pakistan during 1947-
1958.Within this time span the period between 1947 and 1954 constituted very
crucial phase for the labour and trade union movement as the left-wing trade
unions spearhead the trade union movement in Pakistan, in terms of its
expansion in new terrain as well as filling the vacuum that egression of Hindu
and Sikh trade union workers and leaders had created.
It argues that the Establishment, right after Pakistan’s provenance, had
been pursuing such policies, of nation and state building, which allowed no
space for alternative vision which Pakistani Left had been presenting. Thus in

1
Lecturer History Government Islamia College Gujranwala
 Labour Movement in West Pakistan 1947-1958: A Perspective on Punjab
this sense it takes trade union activism as one of the avenues/ sites of
articulation of this vision. Therefore, the Establishment began to perceive
threat from this phenomenal growth and expansion of this trade union
movement; in the similar stripe it had considered the growth of radical
influences in politics, literature and print culture inimical to its interests.
Hence, quite understandably, it suppressed the left-wing trade union
movement through both direct and indirect ways. This suppression
consequently culminated in placement of ban on the Pakistan Trade Unions
Federation (PTUF) in July 1954. In order to develop this argument I have
drawn on the works of Anushay Malik, Sadia Toor, Talat Ahmed, Kamran
Asdar Ali and Taimur Rehman, which present Left as progenitor of alternative
visions.
Apparently, I have addressed a broader theme as the scope, content
and period of this paper shows. A cursory look on the major scholarly works
of the Labour Movement in Pakistan adequately testifies the broader
dimensions of this subject. As the Table 1 shows that the works of K.Mahmud
….cover the broader area and the works of Z.Shaheed ….deal with case
studies of few industries in Karachi. A.Malik’s unpublished work makes a
micro study of labour movement in Lahore it also provides a larger view of
the role of labour movement in the political resistance. The period that this
paper deals is relatively critical as it coincides with the phase when the
foundations of the labour movement had been laid. It throws light on the
activities of trade union, just after Pakistan came into being. It also explains
both various aims and key developments during the abovementioned phase. It
brings into focus broad trends in the realm of trade unionism as well as

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 Ahmad
responses it elicited. It shows that how the Establishment created hurdles that
placed rigorous limitations on the ….growth of trade unionism in the country.
Trade Unions in the Pre-1947 Period
Before presenting the details of trade unionism in Pakistan during
1947-58 it would be useful to provide a brief background of trade unionism in
the pre-1947 period. The major industrial centers of Bombay, Ahmadabad,
Kanpur and Patna were the nucleus of trade union activities in India; All India
Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and Indian Federation of Labour (IFL), two
central organizations which were active in pre-partition India organizing
industrial workers. The majority of the stalwart leaders and dynamic workers
of trade unions flee for India. They were from the areas which were now part
of Pakistan. One third of the workers from the Punjab and Sind left for India.
Table 1 shows the number of unions and their membership in different areas.
Table 1: Union Membership in Selected areas in 1946
Bengal Sind and Punjab
Federations Number of Number of
Membership Membership
unions unions
All India Trade Union
Confederation 112 139000 32 2000
(AITUC)
Indian Federation of
41 106000 23 95000
Labour (IFL)
Source: Government of India, Central Labour Commissioner Report on the
representative character of the AITUC and IFL by S.C Joshi, cited in
B.A.Khan, Trade Unionism and Industrial Relations, Karachi, 1980, p.124.

The migration of the non-Muslim workers to India created a vacuum

of leadership for Pakistani workers. Several dynamic leaders of All India
Trade Union Congress left for India. The partition of India proved a

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 Labour Movement in West Pakistan 1947-1958: A Perspective on Punjab
catastrophe for the trade union movement because it weakened the Pakistani
branches of the leftist and socialist groups. The people who migrated to India
were experienced in the field of labour movement. All they were associated
with the left leaning groups of the workers
At the time of partition, there were almost 450,000 industrial workers
in Pakistan. Among them one third were organized or semi-organized. While
on the other hand there was not any important association or coordinating
agency.
Trade Unionism and Workforce in Pakistan on the Eve of Partition
Pakistan lacked a strong industrial base right from its beginning. The
North-Western parts of India and the East Bengal had very few industries as
the Table 2 shows.
Table 2: Industries and their Numbers
Industry and its
Number of Units
Nomenclature
Cotton Mills 16
Sugar Factories 9
Jute Mills 0
Iron and Steel Mills A small iron factory used to exist in Lahore.
Its function was to develop rod iron and many
other instruments to be used in farming. Even
this small unit in Lahore in a much depilated
state.
Engineering Factories 0
Chemical Plants 0
Cement Factories 5
Textiles Mills 14

Another measure of gauging any country's industrial strength was its

total electricity production. The situation was gloomy in this area as well. For
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Ahmad
instance, from the power houses which the country inherited, Pakistan just
produced 72,700 KW electricity, out of which East Pakistan’s share was
15,600 KW. Rafique Afzal, a scholar of history of Pakistan in one of his
works informs “Of 14,677 registered factories Pakistan inherited only 1414
(9.6 percent of the total), out of which 41.2 percent were small scale
establishments”.
There was no big industrial unit like: Railway workshops, engineering
manufacturing equipments and several chemical factories. There were 335
industrial units in East Pakistan at that time. All the big businesses like tea
gardens and jute were owned by English men and Marwari Hindus of
Calcutta. East Pakistan’s economy was entirely dependent upon Calcutta
because it was the capital of united Bengal. While on the other hand, it was a
biggest port as well the centre of all trade activities. Ninety percent
manufacturing units were within Calcutta.
All these facts and figures show that the country lacked strong
industrial base, which was directly related to the workforce that the nascent
country’s industries employed. For instance, the numerical strength of labour
force in India was 31, 42,000 (3.1) million, out of which Pakistan’s share was
2, 06, 000, that constituted a meager 6.5 percent. Out of this workforce the
share of labourers was even more disproportionate. It ranged 26,000 to 45,000
according to various studies.
By the same token, the number as well as the membership of the trade
unions remained enormously low. The population of Pakistan at that time was
32 million. In 1947, there were seventy five (75) registered organizations in
Pakistan having members 58,150 and majority of them were in West Pakistan.

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 Labour Movement in West Pakistan 1947-1958: A Perspective on Punjab
These figures have extracted from Karmat Ali’s work; whereas Khalid
Mahmud in his important work on trade unionism in Pakistan has put these
figures as 55. It would be significant to add, on the eve of partition, there were
1725 registered trade unions in the United India which claimed nine lace
union members.
As Sardar Shoukat Ali, a well-known Leftist leader and trade unionist wrote
“In Pakistan the bourgeoisie class was very dormant, and was at the
mercy of the Government bureaucracy and feudal lords. Within the
country, ways and means for capital formation and its movement was
very limited and the ripened feudal system was a great obstacle in its
growth.”
Two important scholars of Pakistan, K.Asdar Ali and Yunus Samad,
on Pakistan’s politics and society put it more meticulously,
“The fragmented and low concentration of industrial capital was
mirrored by the weakness of organized labour. The growing Pakistan
government followed an import substitution model to vigorously
industrialize the economy. Within these policy parameters, labour was
continuously asked to play its “appropriate and subordinate” role in
relation of industrial development.”
Trade Unions and Leadership after Partition
Up till Pakistan’s independence, the trade unions had been functioning
in the sectors and utilities like Railway, Karachi Port Trust, postal and
electricity departments. However, the trade unions had been formed in the
other industries all over the country. In addition to these a trade union had

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Ahmad
been formed in the Batala Engineering Company (BECO). Batala Engineering
Company (BECO) was established following the division of India.
The establishment of the Pakistan Trade Union Federation (PTUF),
proved a turning point in the history of trade unionism in the post-Colonial
Pakistan. Several leftist trade unions were its member. Primarily the
activities of the PTUF revolved around West-Pakistan, and it gave a new
impetus to the trade union movement, bringing coherence in its activities
PTUF was established on January 14, 1948, in a conference held in
Lahore in which fifty representatives of various leftist organizations of Punjab
and NWFP participated. Mirza Mohammad Ibrahim was elected president of
PTUF. He was a veteran and radical leader in Pakistan. , While on other hand
he was also president of North Western Railway Workers Union of Pakistan.
Faiz Ahmad Faiz, (a well-known Urdu poet) and Dr.Abdul Malik, trade
unionists were elected as its Vice President and General Secretary
respectively. A.Mailk left this Union a year later, and Afzal Khan replaced
him as the Secretary General. Its other renowned leaders included Dada Amir
Haider Khan, F.D.Mansur, Fazl Elahi Qurban, and Sobo Gian Chandani. We
can further add the names of Comrade Lal Khan, Sardar Shoukat Ali, and
C.R.Aslam in this list. Its head quarter was established in Lahore.
PTUF played an important role in galvanizing the workers of all
sections of Pakistan. It also focused on the trade union movement of Pakistan
from 1948 to 1954. It strived to mobilize the workforce by rising class
vigilance and tried to educate them for the mobilization workers
A significant sign of its mounting influence was the growing number
of its associated labour organizations. According to M.Afzal, its Secretary

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 Labour Movement in West Pakistan 1947-1958: A Perspective on Punjab
General, the number of its allied organizations had risen to 67 in 1950
,whereas Anwar Ali, the DIG , C.I.D Punjab prepared a detail report about
the actions of the Communist party in West Pakistan provided a list of 36
associated unions, the majority of them belonged to Punjab.
Throughout this period the communists were at the forefront of
working class and through there continuous struggle they formed a greater
harmony among the trade unions working on all Pakistan bases. In September
1950, a broad coalition of trade union organizations was formed. It was All
Pakistan Confederation of Labour. These three major workers organizations,
PTUF, East Pakistan Federation of Labour (EPFL) and West Pakistan
Federation of Labour (WPFL), become the part of this alliance. The
government gave it official recognition. M.A.Khtaib elected its president.
While on the other hand Faiz Ahmed Faiz appointed as its General Secretary.
However, the Leftists could not remain with this alliance for long as it became
increasingly inclined to the Establishment. However, it functioned as loose
confederation of three organizations, the All Pakistan Confederation of Labour
(APCOL) and its affiliates and the EPFL and WPFL, the latter two alliances of
labour unions were apparently its constituents, put practically to function
independently.
It would be useful to show the important developments in the trade
unionism between 1948 and 1954 in a tabular form. As table 3 highlighted the
background and scope of trade union activities. I will narrow my focus to left
wing trade union activism and highlight its major dimensions.

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Ahmad
Table 3: Showing the Major Trade Unions in the United Pakistan
between 1947--1954
Trade union’s Year of Political/Ideological International
Name/Nomenclature Establishment Inclination Affiliation
Prague-based
Left-wing/
Pakistan Trade Union World
1948 Communist Party/
Federation (P.T.U.F.) Federation of
Azad Pakistan Party
Trade Unions
Left-wing/Socialist
Initially communists
were part of it, but
they left it
East Pakistan
developing certain
Federation of Labour 1948
differences in
(EPFL)
1948.However, the
Union continued to
embrace socialist
creed.
West Pakistan
Reformist/pro-
Federation of Labour 1947
Establishment
(WPFL)
International
Confederation
All Pakistan
Reformist/ It gained of Free Trade
Confederation of 1950
official recognition Unions
labour (APCOL)
(ICTUF).

Punjab Labour Reformist/ Pakistan

1951
League (PLL) Muslim League
Initially represented
eclectic left-wing
influences. But right
Pakistan Mazdoor from its inception
1951
Federation treaded on the path
of reformism. The
Establishment used
it to contain PTUF’s

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 Labour Movement in West Pakistan 1947-1958: A Perspective on Punjab
influence
Other Independent
Organizations which
were locally
organized.
All Pakistan
They followed
Telephone and
varied programmes
Telegraph Union
,Petroleum Workers
Union, and Naval
Transport Workers
Union.
Central Labour
Reformist/Muslim
Federation of c.1951—1952
League
Pakistan

Left-wing Trade Union Activism 1947--1954

Left-wing Trade Union Activism: Its Major domains
Since its formation it took more radical stance than any other
federations and in its opening meeting it decided to observe the first day of
February as "Demands Day". The day was observed in West Pakistan alone as
a result of the processions and mass meetings which took place all over the
country. The Management and the establishment got apprehensive of these
protests and about the mounting status of labourers struggle and they used
tyrannical means to control the activities of radical workers. While on the
other hand several prominent leaders of P.T.U.F. were detained without any
prior arrest warrants. The textile workers played a pivotal in the strikes of
1948. They were at the forefront of these strikes. The figures of this year
show that their share in the overall workers’ strikes was 78 %. In 1949 and
1950, there was a discernable decrease in the number of strikes. It happened
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Ahmad
because many of the workers leaders were in jail. During this period,
intellectuals, and students took an active part in these strikes. In 1950, a
meeting of PTUF was held. In this meeting the foreign policy of Pakistan was
criticized, and the labour union leaders asked to raise their voice against
inflation. It is said that by 1950, 67 unions were in the circle of P.T.U.F.
Eighty thousand workers were with them. It is also said 2.5 to three million
workers were under its influence. Pakistan Trade Union Federation attracts
many workers from the sections of Pakistan Federation of Labour (PFL). They
joined the PTUFand became its members.
The researcher has divided the left- wing trade union activities into
three broad categories: (i) First organizations that work within the government
institutions; (ii) Second the left wing trade unionism in the non-governmental
industrial sectors (iii) third, in which the subaltern working peoples were
involved. The leftists were with these working classes and trained them for
their rights. In the first sphere we can include the state's institutions and
utilities such as Railways, Postal Department, Mint, Department of Transport,
Irrigation and Planning and Works and Military Engineering Services (M.E.S)
in the cities of Punjab like, Lahore, Lyallpur and Rawalpindi. Among these
trade unions the leftists had gained full control over the North Western
Railway Workers union. Railway was the largest repository of labour force in
the urban areas.
The leftist trade unionists were in the forefront of the trade union
activities of Bata and Service Shoe factories, Batala Engineering Company
(BECO), Mela Ram Cotton Mills Lahore and Textile Mills Okara. The leftists'
trade union organizations also developed their influence in the textile and

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 Labour Movement in West Pakistan 1947-1958: A Perspective on Punjab
sports industries of growing industrial cities of central Punjab such as Lyallpur
and Sialkot.
The following unions were formed among the sweepers, laundry men
and Tonga Drivers by the leftists to mobilize the subaltern workers .The trade
unions of sweepers of Lahore, Sialkot and Mianwali were affiliated with
Pakistan Trade Union Federation. Subalterns are generally considered as
isolated and destitute community on account of their marginalized status. One
can distinguish them from the other segments of society on the basis of their
experiences of subalternity. However, the subalterns were working all over the
Pakistan in every sphere of life.
However considering the leftist involvement in the trade unionism of
subalterns, have been divided into two categories. First, such labourers the
subaltern workers belonging to the menial occupations or those jobs which
were not considered socially respectable or had less nuisance value in society
and the second, subalterns workers linked with industries as the semi-skilled
or un-skilled labourers or associated with the lower rungs of the supervisory
machinery in the government departments. The leftist trade unionists
established unions in several such departments where the lower rungs were
working. Comrade Sandhe Khan (1897-1986) was the chief planner of the
Tonga Driver Union in Lahore since their restoration in late 1930s. In 1950,
he did a big job for widening the span of this union. He established its
branches in the different big cities of Punjab. He was also founder of the Hotel
and Tandoor Association in Lahore. He served as its General Secretary; its
president was Sardar Muhammad Alam Khan, who was the proprietor of
Delhi Muslim Hotel Lahore, which was located in Old Anarkali. The purpose

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Ahmad
of this union was to provide legal protection to the Tandoor owners. Another
goal of this union was that the people get sugar and flour on cheaper rates.
Major Issues
The primary focus of the radical and leftists organizations was to
provide the better working facilities at the work place. This struggle for those
workers who were belongs to the lower rungs of the manufacturing
establishments. To achieve these goals for the betterment of the workers they
adopted a strategy. These strategies have been mentioned clearly in the
PTUF’s constitution. As it declared by the PTUF.The PTUFwill adopt all the
peaceful and democratic methods including legal action, persuasion,
propaganda, meetings, negotiations, demonstrations and as a last resort strike
or such acts as the PTUFmay suggest time to time”. More significantly, the
leftist trade unions particularly the NWR workers’ trade union, tried to
mobilize the labourers, on the issues about their day to day lives, like low
wages, price hike and black marketing, through its action oriented initiatives
such as holding of rallies and demonstrations.
The PTUF’s constitution stated the key aims and objectives of the
Union as, the nationalization of “industrial sources', production and transport”.
It pledged to make efforts for the betterment of socio-economic conditions of
the working class, as well as the fortification and endorsement of their
privileges and wellbeing. It further pledged to defend the basic rights of the
workers such as “freedom of speech, pen, association, assembly, strike, work
and right of subsistence for workers”. The desire to support other sister unions
was also expressed. It reminds of the aims of securing “equal treatment

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 Labour Movement in West Pakistan 1947-1958: A Perspective on Punjab
irrespective of religion, class and nationality”. That is why since the division a
large numbers of Mazdoor unions were acknowledged all over the province.
Strategy/Activism
More significantly, the leftist trade unions primarily the NWR
workers trade union, tried to mobilize the labourers, on the issues concerning
their day to day lives, like low wages, price hike and black marketing, through
its action oriented initiatives such as holding of rallies and demonstrations.
Their awareness was reinforced through the slogans of ‘Roti, Kapra Aur
Makan’ (Bred, Clothing and Housing). It was the catchphrase which Pakistan
People’s Party adopted in 1967 since its inception.
Pakistan Trade Union Federation held a conference in April 1950, in
Lahore. Labour leaders and workers took part in this conference, while on the
other hand World Federation of Trade Unions represented by Mr. Thornton,
who was the chief of the communist dominated labour organization of
Australia. Thornton addressed the conference outside Mochi Gate.
Anwar Ali’s report also mentions PTUF’s links with communist
dominated labour federations in Paris, Prague, Moscow and Peking; it pin
points the visits of two international delegates during early 1950s. While
referring to the visit of Mr. Thornton ,the chief of labour organization of
Australia, which was known for its communist leadings , he provides
details about his visit and his contribution and speech in labour conference
organized by PTUF at Mochi Gate Lahore in April 1950. He also mentions the
visit of T.F. Mcwhinnic, spokesperson of Paris Trade Union Federation to
Lahore, and how the CPP had arranged demonstrations, and appointed a
woman and other Railway workers for his reception”, and how he observed

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 Ahmad
these demonstrations during a Tonga ride. Anwar Ali also underscores that
these links were established at reciprocal basis as they were further
commented with the visit of Mazhar Ali and Tahira Mazher Ali to Prague ‘on
invitation’. The leadership of these trade unions played an efficient role in
providing legal and moral support to their activists in their struggle for labour
rights.
It was the period when the left-wing trade unions led a number of
strikes in Lahore, Karachi, Lyallpur, Rawalpindi and Okara. They adopted the
strike movement as a proactive strategy to press for their demands. The Table
4 shows the increasing influence of Leftist trade unions over the labourers.
Table 4: The Number of Industrial strikes organized in the West Pakistan
between 1947 and 1950
Number of working
Year Number of Strikes Number of Strikers
days Lost
1947 24 14,206 16,989
1948 57 36,231 135,580
1949 72 44,582 101,723
1950 32 16,836 83,164
Source: S.Hussain, Pakistan Economics, Karachi, 1950, p.101
The Table 4 shows that there were fewer strikes in 1950.One can
attribute it to a number of factors. For instance the country’s economic state of
affairs stabilized temporarily due to Liaquat Ali Khan decision not to devalue
currency in line with decision of the other countries in the Common Wealth as
well as the Korean boom, which brought down cost of living temporarily, as

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 Labour Movement in West Pakistan 1947-1958: A Perspective on Punjab
well as led to a minor increase in the wages of workers. But similarly
important was the fact, the government had put the main labour leaders in jail.
The following associations, All Pakistan Progressive Writers
Association (APPWA), Peace Committee and the Civil Liberties Union were
the part and parcel CPP. In this regards these years, were very important
because the labour movement worked in close collaboration with the
aforementioned associations. The latter two organizations were left-wing
organizations which were established to muster support of the civil society for
the causes of world peace and civil liberties, in 1949 and 1950. Thus we find
greater collaboration between intellectuals and labourers in the struggle for
democratic and political rights. This phase was very important because the
CPP had been pursuing the strategy of using labourers as the main agency of
bringing revolution in Pakistan.
Since the early 1950’s the PTUF had developed critical standpoint on
Pakistan’s foreign policy and between 1951 and 1953 it participated in a
number of political demonstrations against Pakistan’s Establishments’
growing economic reliance upon the Anglo-American bloc and the latter’s
intrusive role in formulation of Pakistan’s foreign and defense policies. These
demonstrations were mainly held in major cities like Karachi, Lahore, and
Lyallpur.
Labour Movement and Establishment
The ruling elite of the country was afraid of growing political
activities of labourers and in response they started a new wave of intimidation
against the workers. In the early 1950s numerous labour leaders were arrested
and put behind the bars. The following table shows the growth of trade

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unionism both in terms of increase in number of trade unions and as well as
increase in membership figures between 1947 -1954.

Year Number of Unions Membership

Dec. 1947 55 58150

1948 150 109720
1949 181 157246
1950 251 137800
1951 209 393137
1952 352 394923
1953 394 424563
1954 382 410755
Source: B.A.Khan, Trade unionism and Industrial Relations, p.26.
The growing popularity of the leftist trade unionism made the
government unnerved, and it began to perceive threat from other leftist trade
unions of the Punjab. Anwar Ali, labels it as a “powerful instrument of
mischief”. His judgment about PTUF clearly shows his cynicism against a
labour alliance. The mention of Mirza Ibrahim and the PTUF’s activities in
Punjab, in the de-classified documents of US state department in the 1950’s,
confirm the fact that, US diplomatic officials in Pakistan had been keeping the
labour movement under strict vigilance. One can argue that both the
establishment and US diplomatic officials shared same skepticism against the
labour movement which had increasingly come under the influence of the left.
Thus the clique of Establishment, under these influences left no stone
unturned to control the left-wing trade unionism in Punjab.

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 Labour Movement in West Pakistan 1947-1958: A Perspective on Punjab
Mirza Muhammad Ibrahim was detained under the Public Safety Act
on 15 February 1948. This led to strong protests by the railway workers and
on 16 and 17 February about 20,000 workers of the Mughalpura Railway
Workshop went on token strike. Mirza Muhammad Ibrahim remained
incarcerated for three years.
Besides targeting Mirza Ibrahim, it resorted to an organized attack to weaken
the movement. They arrested all the active trade union workers in the province
including Faiz Ahmed Faiz. They filed false cases against all these workers
and put them behind the bars. Dada Amir Haider is one of the examples.
During 1947-58, State institutions, including police and secret agencies,
frequently used coercive laws to arrest radical workers and trade unionist.
Law enforcing agencies made frequent use of Public Safety Act, as an
effective instrument, to stifle the leftist dissent and the escalating radical
influence over trade unions.
To prevent the growing influence of labor movement in Punjab, the
state used a counterfeit weapon. They used the following methods to
overcome the impact of workers. They fired the workers without assigning
any reason. For this purpose they used: First, the Disciplinary Action against
the trade union activist in the form of their dismissal from their jobs. In this
way they disturb the workers and increase their financial problems. Thus they
used to think that they would stop the workers from their lives. Secondly they
favoured the rightists trade unions give them financial support to weakened
the communist one. Thus the state utilizes the whole power to press the
revolutionary workers movement in the country. Despite these difficulties, the

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revolutionary workers movements achieved their goals and force the
government to fulfill their demands.
The Establishment finally, took an extremely controversial move to
place ban on the PTUF.As it imposed ban on it on 24 July 1954, by describing
it as one of the CPP’s front organizations. The same day the CPP was also
banned, along with 14 other affiliated organizations.
Trade Unionism in the post-1954 period up till 1958
Up to this point I have discussed the nature and dimensions of trade
unionism in Pakistan till 1954. This section I will shed light on major trends in
trade unionism during 1954-58. The placement of ban on the PTUF was a
severe blow to the cause of trade unionism in Pakistan. It created a big
vacuum in the realm of labourers’ struggle for their basic and legal rights.
Though the communists and their supporters tried to regroup and allied
themselves under the banner of United Trade Union Federation. This trade
union was established in 1956, and its head quarter was located in Karachi. It
made a claim of affiliation with seventeen trade unions. Its leadership further
claimed that 15,000 members had joined their trade union. However, the
Establishment did not give this organization, like its precursor, sufficient room
to maneuver, and it met the same fate. There were 635 registered trade unions
having collective membership of 3,766,000 up till 1958.
The APCOL amended its program to remove the clause that called for
constitution on “cooperation with political parties and establishment of a
socialist society”, through a constitutional amendment.
Though during 1955--1958 there was significant increase in the
number of trade unions,

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 Labour Movement in West Pakistan 1947-1958: A Perspective on Punjab
Table 6: Numbers of Trade Unions and their Members between 1955 and
1958
Year No of Trade Unions Members
1954 382 410755
1955 974 325610
1956 524 316642
1957 611 366317
1958 621 337064
Source: B.A.Khan, Trade Unionism and Industrial Relations in Pakistan,
Karachi, 1980

One can read this increase in both ways. For instance we can argue
that the consciousness for the workers’ rights was fostered by the PTUF. Thus,
it eventually had set the pace of establishment of the new trade unions, as the
trade unionists explored the promising new avenues which were opened up as
a result of expansion in the process of industrialization. But on the other hand
decline in the overall membership of the trade unions points towards the fact
that a large number of bogus and pocket unions had also been established.
This Table 7 provides its clearer picture.
Table 7: Fall in Membership of Trade Unions
Year No of Trade Unions Members
1955 474 325610
1956 524 316642
1957 611 366317
1958 337064
Source: B.A. Khan, Trade Unionism and Industrial Relations, p.26

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Ahmad
The way in which the Establishment had been suppressing the left-
wing trade unionism is clearly evident from substantial decline in the
membership of the Railway Workers Union which was considered as the most
powerful trade union in the country in the early years after partition.
Table8: Decrease in Numbers of Unions and fall in Membership of the
Railway Trade Unions between 1947-1960
Year No of Unions Membership Total Members
1948-49 20 71,038 157,246
1951-52 12 53,119 129,408
1959-1960 12 4,384 51,370
Source: B.A.Khan, Trade unionism and Industrial Relations, p.26.
Division within trade union was another important factor that
negatively impacted the labour movement. On the eve of partition there were
two groups i.e. leftists and non-Marxist socialists the later were the followers
of Mubarak Sagar. In addition to these there were pro-Muslim league elements
called reformist and we see that the non-Marxist socialist and reformist acted
under the influence of establishment against the left. They considered the
struggle of the workers for the revolutionary change in the existing system.
While the second group called themselves reformists. They wanted to struggle
to bring change within the prevailing system. Both the "reformists" and
"radical" groups were prominent in the trade union activities soon after 1947.
The workers of the following departments and industries like railway, post,
seaport, textile, and airport and in some cases cement factories were very
vibrant in the trade unions.
There were very strong trade union currents among the workers of
railway, post, seaport, textile, and airport and in some cases cement factories.
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 Labour Movement in West Pakistan 1947-1958: A Perspective on Punjab
Clashes erupted among the trade union movement due to international
affiliations in 1949. This conflict led to the division of the movement. Four
new federations were established two in West Pakistan and two in East
Pakistan. In 1950 Abdul Malik formed the All Pakistan Confederation of
Labour (APCOL) by the amalgamation of the Labour Federation of West
Pakistan and one of the East Pakistan federations.
This conflict among the workers movement proved harmful for the rights of
the working class. Despite this frustration, the labor movement continued and
succeeded owing to the collective political environment of the country.
After independence, the AITUC's successor renamed itself as Pakistan
Trade Union Federation (PTUF) and became an associate of World Federation
of Trade Union (WFTU). The IFL’s progeny in Pakistan organized itself as
Pakistan Labour Federation (PLF), afterward renamed as All Pakistan
Federation of Labour (APFOL). The APFOL associated itself with the
International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICTUF) in 1951.
Anwer Ali, who was an antagonist of the communists in Punjab, while
comparing the leftist trade unions with the rights’ rivals, affirms that, “A
number of competitor organizations exist but they work in a desultory manner
and their bodies lack the audor and zeal of the communists.”
Pakistan Trade Union Federation was associated with International
Trade Union Federations. This association created angst among the workers of
this federation and leaders. This discontent was raised on ideological grounds.
Some workers support this alliance while the other section of the PTUF
opposed it. This conflict of the workers divided the PTUF into two parts.
Pakistan Workers Federation (P.W.F) was formed under the auspices of

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Ahmad
Socialist Party. The workers elected Khawaja M.Hussain its President and
Malik Qurban as General Secretary. The majority of the members of this
federation were from railway and textile trade unions. The Federation was
strengthened from the textile and railway Trade Unions which became its
members. The officials of this federation affirm that 10 % organised workers
from different industries were its members in 1957.
So in this way the communist workers organizations lost their
harmony. Since then they never met together on the same plate form for the
same cause of workers welfare. PTUF member of World Federation of Trade
Unions (WFTU) lost its membership. Both the newly conventional
organizations were not associate any internationally Organization until 1958.
Conclusion
This paper provides a broad over view of the significant developments
in the histories of trade unionism in the West Pakistan and laid particular
emphasis on the left-wing trade unionism, which the originations like the
Railways Workers Union and the PTUF spearheaded. This historical overview
shows that the left-wing trade unions had succeeded in organizing a strong
trade union movement in Pakistan. It is evident from the fact that in the period
between 1947 and 1951 the membership of trade unions showed an increase of
650 percent. By 1951, 209 trade unions had been established in the country
and 393,137 workers had joined the trade unions. It is showed that though the
trade unionists faced extremely unfavorable circumstances from 1948 onward,
nevertheless the trade union movement continued to flourish till July 1954, the
period when the Establishment had allowed the PTUF to survive, albeit in
very stressful circumstances.

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 Labour Movement in West Pakistan 1947-1958: A Perspective on Punjab
Whereas, these trade union organizations were very strong and
dynamic all over the Pakistan. In 1954 there were 252,000 (two lakh and fifty
two thousand) workers who were the members of trade union organizations,
relatively two times bigger than in 1948.
One can highlight a number of other factors which further facilitated
the proactive role the left-wing trade unions played during the preliminary
phase of the trade union movement in Pakistan. For instance, leadership of
these trade unions comprised both the educated bourgeoisie, and local
leadership that the workers provided. The left-wing intellectuals like Faiz
Ahmed Faiz, C.R.Aslam, Shaukat Ali, Eric Cyprian and many others guided
the locals through their outside participation as long as the Establishment
allowed them till 1959. They not only held responsible positions in the trade
unions but also extended their intellectual and moral support in a number of
ways. They helped the semi-illiterate workers in drafting the explanations and
providing replies to the warning notices which the workers received on
account of their participation in the trade union activities. Similarly, they
provided legal assistance to the trade unionists in cases where the
Establishment or the management of their respective industries had initiated
legal action against the workers.

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Ahmad
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