New Delhi, May 11, 2026 – In what could turn into one of the most significant banking disruptions in recent years, employees of the State Bank of India, India’s largest public sector bank, have announced a 2-day nationwide strike on May 25 and 26, 2026. The protest has been called by the All India State Bank of India Staff Federation (AISBISF), which represents workmen employees across the bank.
The union says the strike is aimed at protecting employee rights, improving working conditions, and opposing policies that allegedly undermine job security and staff welfare. The AISBISF announced the strike through an official circular issued on May 2, 2026, stating that repeated talks had failed, pushing employees to step up their protest. The federation served a formal notice to the SBI Chairman in compliance with the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, making the strike legally binding and official.
A Long Wait With No Answers
The discontent among SBI employees did not build up overnight. Workers say they have been raising the same concerns for years, approaching management through meetings, written representations, and peaceful demonstrations, but have received no substantive response. The federation points out that bank management has been pushing anti-employee policies and that the institution’s very backbone is being slowly dismantled by such decisions. What frustrates employees the most is not just the problems themselves, but the feeling of being ignored.
The AISBISF expressed that permanent jobs, which are essential for dignity and stability, are being quietly outsourced and replaced with uncertain, short-term arrangements that strip workers of their security and future. The union makes it clear that this strike is not a sudden outburst. It is the result of years of patience running out. Talks were held, promises were made, and memorandums were submitted, but on the ground, nothing changed. With no sign of resolution in sight, employees say they were left with no choice but to walk off the job.
Key Demands of the Striking Employees
The federation’s letter mentions a total of 16 demands that they wish to be addressed, covering a wide range of employment, pension, promotion, and workplace safety issues. Among the most prominent ones are the following:
- Recruitment of messengers and armed guards, a process that has been halted for nearly 30 years
- An immediate stop to the outsourcing of permanent jobs
- Pay parity between workmen and officer cadres
- The option for NPS employees to change their Pension Fund Manager
- Better transfer policies, especially for employees who joined after 2019
- Improvements in the HRMS system and clearer service rules to ensure fair career growth
- Improvements in medical reimbursement systems
- Changes to career growth plans to address long-standing stagnation in promotions
The union stated that workers’ rights are being systematically crushed and that hard-earned protections, won through decades of struggle, are being diluted, bypassed, and ignored. Agreements, the federation said, are reduced to mere formalities, and voices of dissent are being sidelined.
Broad Union Support Across the Sector
The strike call has drawn support well beyond the AISBISF. The SBI Employees Federation (SBIEF), affiliated to the Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI), has also formally served a strike notice under the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, to the SBI Chairman and labour authorities. Furthermore, BEFI has extended full support to the strike call, describing it as a significant step toward addressing employee-related issues, and in a circular dated May 8, 2026, urged its affiliates to organise solidarity demonstrations in state capitals between May 14 and May 20.
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What It Means for Customers
The timing of the strike raises serious concerns for millions of SBI account holders across the country. With the strike falling on a Monday and Tuesday, it is likely to disrupt loan disbursements, government-linked transactions, pension credits, and routine branch services.
Banking services could remain disrupted for as many as five consecutive days, from May 23 (Saturday) to May 27, as May 23 and 24 are weekend holidays and May 27 is a standby strike day. Customers are strongly advised to complete any urgent banking work well in advance. If either of the scheduled strike dates coincides with a public holiday, the strike will be observed on May 27 instead.
Management Yet to Respond
As of now, there is no official statement from SBI management regarding the strike notice. However, in earlier instances of union-led actions, the bank has taken steps to maintain essential services and reduce inconvenience to customers. With solidarity demonstrations planned across several state capitals and major unions united over the issue, discussions between stakeholders are expected to gain urgency in the coming days. Whether both sides can resolve before May 25 remains uncertain.
Sources and References
Outlook Business: SBI Employees Announce Nationwide Strike on May 25–26
TimesBull: SBI Employees Announce 2-Day Strike
The Focus India: SBI Bank Strike on May 25–26: List of 16 Demands and Impact
Indian PSU: SBI Unions Call Two-Day Strike on May 25–26 Over Outsourcing, Staffing and Welfare Issues
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