Industrial relations and the political process in Pakistan 1947-1977

This paper is an introduction to the development of industrial relations in Pakistan over the 30 years since Pakistan gained independence in 1947. One of its aims was to put together a brief history of the trade union movement in the country. It is divided into four parts. Chapter I is a historical and political analysis of the trade union movement as divided into four distinct phases. Chapter II gives a brief history of the growth of employers’ organizations. Chapter III gives a detailed account of the important labour legislation which was introduced during this period. Chapter IV deals with organizations and functions of the trade unions in Pakistan and tries to focus attention on some of the major problems with which the movement faced during this period. Finally the paper concludes with a broad review of the state of labour relations in Pakistan in the second half of the 1970s.