The country’s largest public sector lender issued a customer advisory which confirmed that all SBI branches would function normally and continue to offer regular services during the two days.
“This is to advise our esteemed customers that the proposed strike by the All-India State Bank of India Staff Federation (AISBISF) on 25th and 26th May 2026 has been deferred. All our branches will function normally and provide all regular banking services,” SBI said in its statement.
The strike call had triggered concerns among customers as the planned agitation was expected to impact branch operations after the weekend break. Ahead of the proposed protest, SBI had advised account holders to rely on alternative banking channels such as ATMs, internet banking, YONO, mobile banking and UPI platforms if branch services were affected.
The employee federation had announced the strike over several pending issues related to staffing, outsourcing policies, pension provisions and wage-related concerns.
The union alleged that employee grievances had remained unresolved for a long time and accused the management of weakening worker protections.
According to the federation, a 16-point charter of demands had been submitted to the management. Among the key demands were recruitment of messengers and armed guards, filling vacant posts across branches and stopping outsourcing in permanent job categories.
The union also sought greater flexibility under the National Pension System (NPS) and demanded inter-circle transfer opportunities for employees recruited after 2019.
The federation had also called for changes to the existing career progression framework as it claimed that employees were facing increasing pressure because of shrinking workforce strength. It further raised concerns over security arrangements at branches by alleging that shortage of armed guards had created safety risks at several locations.
On the issue of salaries, the union alleged there was disparity in wage hikes granted to officers and workmen despite industry-level settlements.
Ahead of the proposed strike, the federation had planned nationwide demonstrations, sit-ins and social media campaigns, besides preparing representations for Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. But the agitation was later withdrawn after discussions between employee representatives and the management.
