LAHORE – Pakistan has achieved a historic milestone in global labour representation as Ch. Saad Muhammad has been appointed to the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization (ILO), becoming the youngest member ever to join the institution in its 105-year history.
His nomination for the South Asian seat was put forward by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and has now been officially published on the ILO’s international roster.
At age 35, Ch. Saad stands out as one of South Asia’s most energetic and influential emerging labour leaders. Known for his strong advocacy on labour rights, policy reforms, and social protection, he currently serves as the Titular Member of the ITUC Youth Committee (ITUC-YC), where he has played a key role in elevating the voices of young workers across the region.
He also leads the Pakistan United Workers Federation (PUWF), the country’s largest and most inclusive national labour federation. PUWF was formed in 2024 through an unprecedented merger of ten national and provincial unions, including major bodies such as PWF, MLF, SLF and PMM. His leadership within Pakistan further expanded in 2024 when he joined the Governing Body of the Punjab Workers Welfare Fund (PWWF). In 2025, he was appointed Chairman of the Workers Grievance Redressal Committee, where he has championed policy reforms aimed at widening access to welfare benefits, education, and justice for workers.
Internationally, Ch. Saad has represented Pakistan in more than 40 countries and is an alumnus of Cornell University’s prestigious ILR School under the Global Labour Leadership Program (GLLI). For over a decade, he has held elected positions within ITUC and ITUC-Asia Pacific youth structures, contributing directly to global labour policy, governance, and workers’ representation.
His journey is deeply rooted in a family legacy nearly nine decades old. His grandfather, Ch. Rahmatullah, worked alongside Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah when Jinnah served as President of the All-India Postal Workers Union, and later contributed to founding the All-India Labour League under Jinnah’s leadership. This tradition continued through his father and now extends to Ch. Saad, who carries the family’s dedication to labour rights to the highest level of global representation.
