The Trade Development Authority's Employees Association on Friday boycotted a written test made compulsory by the authority for staff in scale ranging from 1 to 16.
Employees also protested in the regional office, targeting the government policy for such tests. The employees carrying placards and slogan, such as "no to illegal tests," rejected the government policy, saying it went against the TDAP Ordinance. The protest also drew other employees from Gujranwala, Sialkot, Faisalabad and Multan.
Association General Secretary Arman Azam Siddiqui, Vice President Muhammad Altaf Hussain, Senior Vice President Muhammad Nadeem and Press Secretary Irfan Ullah Khan told reporters that all low-cadre employees had never appeared in the test scheduled for Friday.
Siddiqui justified the protest on job description grounds, saying low-cadre employees never needed a test or interview and also urged the authority's chief executive to fulfil his commitment he had made with the employees in July.
He then called for merging the staff with those of the authority unconditionally and demanded that the authority restore financial packages and perks which stopped after the authority emerged.
About his association's future strategy, he said if the authority refused to meet his demands, he would chalk out a joint action plan to pressure it.