Customers of the country’s largest public sector bank, SBI, should complete all their important branch-related work today (Friday, May 22nd). This is because SBI branches may remain closed for six consecutive days between May 23rd and May 28th, 2026.
State Bank of India ग्राहकों के लिए बड़ा अपडेट।
23 से 28 मई तक छुट्टियों, हड़ताल और Bakrid अवकाश के कारण कई शाखाएं बंद रह सकती हैं। डिजिटल बैंकिंग सेवाएं जारी रहेंगी।#SBIBank #BankStrike #Bakrid #IndiaNews #BreakingNewshttps://t.co/74gRAMlhhL pic.twitter.com/9VnqLtpX7V
— The News Canvas (@TheNewsCanvas_) May 22, 2026The main reasons for this are the weekend, the proposed two-day strike by employees and the two-day holiday declared by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for Bakrid (Eid-ul-Azha).
What is the reason?
There are several reason for this weekend that will affect the working.
- Weekend Holidays: May 23rd is the fourth Saturday of the month, and May 24th is Sunday. As a rule, all banks nationwide are closed on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month, so banks will be closed on these two days.
- SBI Staff Strike: The All India State Bank of India Staff Federation has proposed a two-day nationwide strike on May 25th and 26th (Monday and Tuesday) to press for various demands. This could directly impact bank operations.
- Bakrid Holiday: The festival of Bakrid will be celebrated on different days in different states of India, for which the RBI has designated two days as holidays. SBI will be closed on May 27th for Bakrid in most parts of the country, while in some areas, the holiday will be on May 28th. In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, banks will be closed on both May 27th and 28th.
Why do SBI employees want to go on strike?
The All India State Bank of India Staff Federation (AISBISF) has called a strike to press for 16 demands. The strike is aimed at protecting employees’ rights, securing better working conditions, and protecting customer interests.
What will be the impact of this strike?
Since this strike is for the ‘workmen category’ (clerks and other staff), work like cheque clearing, cash counters and passbook updates may remain stalled.
16 key demands of SBI employess
- New recruitment of messengers: Immediate permanent recruitment should be done for the vacant posts of Class IV (messengers) in the bank.
- Recruitment of new guards: New guards should be recruited for the safety and security purpose of the bank.
- Option facility in NPS: Employees come under the National Pension System (NPS) should be given the freedom to choose their ‘pension fund manager’.
- Inter circle transfer: Employees recruited after 2019 should get an opportunity to transfer in other circle as well.
- Ban on outsourcing: Giving works of permanent nature to outside agencies should be stopped immediately.
- Recruitment of enough employees: In view of the increasing workload in all branches, adequate number of employees should be recruited.
- Parity Issue: Address disparities in salary and other benefits among employees within the State Bank.
- Career Progression Scheme Review: Improve existing policies related to employee promotion and career growth.
- Benefits to Retired Employees: Provide the benefit of the 8th Stagnation Increment to retired employees under the 10th Bilateral Agreement.
- Consultation Charges: Review and improve physician consultation charges effective July 15, 2024.
- Medical Scheme Improvement: The medical reimbursement scheme should be further streamlined and simplified.
- Inclusion of all allowances in pension: All salary components should be included in the pension calculation for employees retired under the 7th Bilateral Agreement.
- Resolution of HRMS Issues: The technical issues in the bank’s HR software (HRMS) should be permanently resolved.
- Appointment of an Employee Director: The old tradition of appointing a director from the workmen category on the bank’s board should be restored.
- Nomination of PF Trustee: An employee representative should be appointed to the Provident Fund (PF) Trust.
- Curb Mis-selling: The practice of pressuring employees to sell incorrect products to customers in the name of cross-selling (selling insurance, mutual funds, etc.) should be stopped.
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