SBI employees' 2-day nationwide strike on May 25, 26
Employees of India’s biggest public sector lender State Bank of India (SBI) have announced a two-day nationwide strike to defend employees’ rights, ensure fair working conditions, and protect the interests of both staff and customers. SBI employees in the workmen category will strike work on May 25 and 26, 2026.
The strike has been called by the All India State Bank of India Staff Federation (AISBISF), which announced the two-day nationwide strike, citing unresolved staff grievances and alleged non implementation of agreements.
In a notice dated May 2, 2026 and addressed to the SBI Chairman, the AISBISF stated that employees in the workmen category will participate in the strike under provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. If either date falls on a holiday, the strike will be observed the next day on May 27, 2026.
SBI employees nationwide strike on May 25, 26: What are the demands?
According to the federation’s letter, there are a total of 16 demands that they are asking to be met. “The rights of workmen are being systematically crushed. Hard-earned protections, won through decades of struggle, are being diluted, bypassed, and ignored. Agreements are reduced to mere formalities, and voices of dissent are being sidelined,” AISBISF said.
The demands raised by the federation include recruitment of messengers and armed guards, adequate staffing, and stopping outsourcing of permanent roles. AISBISF has also underlined issues like pension related concerns under the National Pension System, lack of inter circle transfers for employees recruited after 2019.
SBI employees in the workmen category have the made the following demands:
1. Recruitment of Messengers
2. Recruitment of Armed Guards
3. Change of Pension Fund Manager option to NPS Employees
4. Inter Circle Transfers to employees joined from 2019 onwards
5. Stop Outsourcing of Permanent Jobs
6. Recruitment of Adequate Staff
7. Parity Issue in State Bank of India
8. Review of Career Progression Scheme
9. Notional 8th Stagnation Increment to 10th Bipartite Retirees
10. Physician Consultation Charges w.e.f 15.07.2024
11. Improvement in Medical Reimbursement Scheme
12. Add all pay components to the pension of 7th BPS retirees since retirement
13. Resolve HRMS issues
14. Appointment of Workmen Employee Director
15. Appointment of PF Trustee Nominee
16. Stop Mis-selling in the name of Cross-Selling
Recruitment of messengers, armed guards in SBI
In its letter, the AISBISF pointed out to a “dangerous shift”, suggesting that permanent jobs, the backbone of dignity and stability, are quietly being outsourced, replaced by precarious engagements that deny workers their rightful security and future.
For nearly three decades, the recruitment of messengers has been completely halted. The federation shared that an entire cadre has been allowed to vanish, erasing opportunities for the most vulnerable sections of society and breaking the natural progression within the workforce.
“Further, non-filling of vacancies in the subordinate cadre for almost three decades by denying the job opportunities to the poorer and underprivileged sections of our society totally defeated the social objectives of the government.”
Taking note of the recent robbery at SBI Surat branch, where armed robbers brazenly stormed the premises, threatened employees and customers, and looted cash in broad daylight, AISBISF shifted the focus on the neglect in recruiting Armed Guards. “Such blatant negligence is unacceptable and will be met with united resistance.”
Change of fund manager option to NPS employees
The denial of the option to change the Pension Fund Manager for employees getting pension under NPS and officers is a grave injustice that is directly impacting the financial future of the workforce, the federation highlighted in its demands. “SBI employees and officers are being unfairly deprived, as their retirement savings lag behind other Public Sector Bank employees who have changed their fund manager.”
Parity issue in SBI
Among the 16 demands made by the AISBISF, parity issue at the bank is another crucial one that the employees want addressed.
The All India State Bank of India Staff Federation cited the 12th Bipartite Settlement and 9th Joint Note which ensured a uniform 17% increase for both workmen and supervising staff across the industry, adding that the Bank has granted additional Special Pay to officers, pushing their effective increase to nearly 22%.
Workmen’s pay, on the other hand, remain capped at 17%.
Planned programmes ahead of strike on May 25, 26
Meanwhile, ahead of the nationwide strike on May 25 and 26, the federation will hold lunch time demonstrations and withdrawal of extra co-operation on May 5; run a social media campaign on May 6; hold a press meet at LHOs/AO centres on May 7; conduct silent sit-in programmes at all LHO/AO/RBO centres on May 8.
On May 11, the employees will hold centralised lunchtime demonstrations at all LHO/AO/RBO district headquarters centres. On May 18, they will hold dharna at all LHO/AO centres, and submit a Memorandum to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on May 19.
Ahead of the planned two-day strike, the SBI employees will on May 21 submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The strike has been called by the All India State Bank of India Staff Federation (AISBISF), which announced the two-day nationwide strike, citing unresolved staff grievances and alleged non implementation of agreements.
In a notice dated May 2, 2026 and addressed to the SBI Chairman, the AISBISF stated that employees in the workmen category will participate in the strike under provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. If either date falls on a holiday, the strike will be observed the next day on May 27, 2026.
SBI employees nationwide strike on May 25, 26: What are the demands?
According to the federation’s letter, there are a total of 16 demands that they are asking to be met. “The rights of workmen are being systematically crushed. Hard-earned protections, won through decades of struggle, are being diluted, bypassed, and ignored. Agreements are reduced to mere formalities, and voices of dissent are being sidelined,” AISBISF said.
The demands raised by the federation include recruitment of messengers and armed guards, adequate staffing, and stopping outsourcing of permanent roles. AISBISF has also underlined issues like pension related concerns under the National Pension System, lack of inter circle transfers for employees recruited after 2019.
SBI employees in the workmen category have the made the following demands:
1. Recruitment of Messengers
2. Recruitment of Armed Guards
3. Change of Pension Fund Manager option to NPS Employees
4. Inter Circle Transfers to employees joined from 2019 onwards
5. Stop Outsourcing of Permanent Jobs
6. Recruitment of Adequate Staff
7. Parity Issue in State Bank of India
8. Review of Career Progression Scheme
9. Notional 8th Stagnation Increment to 10th Bipartite Retirees
10. Physician Consultation Charges w.e.f 15.07.2024
11. Improvement in Medical Reimbursement Scheme
12. Add all pay components to the pension of 7th BPS retirees since retirement
13. Resolve HRMS issues
14. Appointment of Workmen Employee Director
15. Appointment of PF Trustee Nominee
16. Stop Mis-selling in the name of Cross-Selling
Recruitment of messengers, armed guards in SBI
In its letter, the AISBISF pointed out to a “dangerous shift”, suggesting that permanent jobs, the backbone of dignity and stability, are quietly being outsourced, replaced by precarious engagements that deny workers their rightful security and future.
For nearly three decades, the recruitment of messengers has been completely halted. The federation shared that an entire cadre has been allowed to vanish, erasing opportunities for the most vulnerable sections of society and breaking the natural progression within the workforce.
“Further, non-filling of vacancies in the subordinate cadre for almost three decades by denying the job opportunities to the poorer and underprivileged sections of our society totally defeated the social objectives of the government.”
Taking note of the recent robbery at SBI Surat branch, where armed robbers brazenly stormed the premises, threatened employees and customers, and looted cash in broad daylight, AISBISF shifted the focus on the neglect in recruiting Armed Guards. “Such blatant negligence is unacceptable and will be met with united resistance.”
Change of fund manager option to NPS employees
The denial of the option to change the Pension Fund Manager for employees getting pension under NPS and officers is a grave injustice that is directly impacting the financial future of the workforce, the federation highlighted in its demands. “SBI employees and officers are being unfairly deprived, as their retirement savings lag behind other Public Sector Bank employees who have changed their fund manager.”
Parity issue in SBI
Among the 16 demands made by the AISBISF, parity issue at the bank is another crucial one that the employees want addressed.
The All India State Bank of India Staff Federation cited the 12th Bipartite Settlement and 9th Joint Note which ensured a uniform 17% increase for both workmen and supervising staff across the industry, adding that the Bank has granted additional Special Pay to officers, pushing their effective increase to nearly 22%.
Workmen’s pay, on the other hand, remain capped at 17%.
Planned programmes ahead of strike on May 25, 26
Meanwhile, ahead of the nationwide strike on May 25 and 26, the federation will hold lunch time demonstrations and withdrawal of extra co-operation on May 5; run a social media campaign on May 6; hold a press meet at LHOs/AO centres on May 7; conduct silent sit-in programmes at all LHO/AO/RBO centres on May 8.
On May 11, the employees will hold centralised lunchtime demonstrations at all LHO/AO/RBO district headquarters centres. On May 18, they will hold dharna at all LHO/AO centres, and submit a Memorandum to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on May 19.
Ahead of the planned two-day strike, the SBI employees will on May 21 submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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