S. P. Lodhi: Epitome of a Workforce Leader

In late 1973, I returned to Pakistan after graduating from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, USA and was appointed as the Administration Director of our companies. Those were the days when ZAB ruled supreme and pseudo-socialism was in vogue.

Workers all over Pakistan started believing in the rhetoric that industrialists were enemies and blood suckers and must be made to dance to the workers’ tune otherwise they should be subject to all types of pressures. Strikes, sit-ins, manhandling of factory owners and managers, and liberal resort to cases in the Labor Courts were routine. Labor leaders acted as if they were warlords of their own realms. Productivity was at its lowest ebb, new industries seldom came up, and industrial unrest was termed as victory of the “downtrodden masses.”

Newcomers like me faced the onslaught of these misguided workers who came up with atrocious demands every other day. A lot of time was spent in the Labor Courts or at the Labor department where officers were aggressive and irresponsible too. Most of these petty officers took masochistic delight at the harassment and humiliation faced by the industrialists. Pakistan’s industrial progress went into the wilderness.

I was looking after five textile factories and had to deal with five strong unions, incidentally all led by five different labor leaders. My orientation into Human Resources began with my interaction with these labor leaders and the labor department. Being a hot-blooded young man more than three decades ago, I took some rash steps, uttered some uncivilized remarks, and made some damaging concessions.

During the Bhutto period, I learned the ropes in handling the workers, their leaders, and the officials of the labor department. I learned how to apply the Labor Laws; I cultivated friendships and influence within the labor movement, within the bureaucracy, and within the legal fraternity. And, the time came when the labor leaders advised their workers to listen to and accept my reasoning and offers. The labor department officers saw in me an enlightened employer and would also motivate the workers to treat me as such. Other employers gradually started looking at me for guidance.

Later, I became an important member of the Managing Committee of Employers’ Federation of Pakistan for over fourteen years. I became well known at the International Labor Organization and at Nikkeiren (the Japanese Employers’ Federation) and attended many conferences and seminars in many countries as representative of Pakistany employers. I spoke on Child Labor, on Privatization, and on subjects that affected the employers. I was involved in setting up the Skill Development Council, the EFP Trust, and more importantly WEBCOP (Workers Employers Bilateral Council of Pakistan) that is a joint efforts of employers and workers and acclaimed as one of the best examples of bilateralism. By the way, I coined this name.


The reason I narrated the above was that in my career as an employer and as a representative of the private sector, whether as Chairman of SITE Association of Industry or in other trade organizations, I have been oriented on a lot of subjects by many persons and have learnt from them. One such person was S. P. Lodhi, a senior leader of the Pakistany workers. This octogenarian died after a prolonged illness on December 20, 2005 leaving a worthwhile legacy for others to emulate.

As I mentioned, I was dealing with five unions and that many leaders. Lodhi was one of them as one union was affiliated with his Federation. Every two years the CBA presented its Charter of Demands and the usual negotiations would commence. What distinguished Lodhi from some of the other labor leaders was that he would not come out with rhetorical statements nor would he incite the workers to resort to strikes or slow-downs. He would use his mischievous smile to disarm the management and would come up with workable solutions. He wanted agreements to be finalized in the mills premise by stressing bilateralism. He would convince the workers that it was in their own benefit to have agreements that reflected pragmatism. He would ensure that the radical members of the union were tamed during negotiations.

I remember at one of the signing ceremonies where all of us were sitting at the head table, profusely garlanded by the workers, and he stated very strongly that inspite of hard times, the workers were given benefits that workers from normally comparable units lacked. His speech was entirely conciliatory and the ensuing result was that this unit was the best among all five units in terms of industrial peace and harmony. I still remember two union office-bearers, very tall and rough, and who would find every excuse to prop up demands, suddenly changed their attitude. In those days, there were allegations that some labor leaders would have secret arrangements with industrialists, and in return for monetary or “commodity” benefits, ensure that the workers accepted what was offered by these industrialists. I can honestly vouch that Lodhi was not one of them.

Lodhi was farsighted and practical. He always maintained that contract labor system was here to stay and thus these workers must be registered. His thinking was that the strength of unionized workers would reduce as industrial units would adopt the contract system. He knew that the unwarranted antics of the radical elements in the labor force would eventually be disastrous for the labor movement. His philosophy was proved right and today, seasoned labor leaders are gradually fading from the scene while non-entities are trying to protect what little turf they can.

S. P. Lodhi was also one of the Founders of WEBCOP as this organization is doing what he always believed in, i.e. bilateralism. S. P Lodhi will always be hailed by all three stakeholders, workers, employers, and government as a true labor leader. S. P. Lodhi epitomizes the essence of a matured, pragmatic, and strong labor leader. May Almighty Allah bless him.

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December 26-2005