Patna, March 10: The Bihar Jharkhand Rajya Vidyut Parishad Field Kamgar Union leaders today welcomed the gesture of energy minister Vijendra Prasad Yadav to invite them for talks. But they were not convinced if the power board employees’ jobs would be safe after the talks.

The members of the union are planning to go on a day’s token strike on March 29 in protest against Bihar State Electricity Board’s (BSEB’s) decision to outsource the supply and distribution management system for 11KV feeders.

“We welcome the minister’s statement in the Assembly yesterday. He is for talks to sort out the grievances. But on one hand Yadav is guaranteeing our jobs and on the other, the board is going ahead with the appointment of franchisee in rural and some major cities to outsource power supply-related work,” the union’s general secretary Amrendra Mishra told The Telegraph.

Mishra said: “The minister’s statement is misleading. It is beyond comprehension where the board will accommodate us after the appointment of franchisee.”