State Bank of India (SBI) may experience service interruptions later this month. Employees’ unions have announced a two-day nationwide strike that could result in a four-day closure of branch operations.
SBI Staff Unions Rally for Strike
The All India State Bank of India Staff Federation (AISBISF) has planned the strike for May 25 and 26. Since May 23 is the 4th Saturday and May 24 is a Sunday, most SBI branches closed for four days in a row.
The union said that the strike aims to address long-standing issues related to staffing, service conditions, recruitment policies, and pension benefits. They claim that the concerns of workers not adequately addressed and that several past agreements have not been fulfilled.
Demands and key issues
The union has put forward 16 demands that deal with various service-related matters. These include hiring for support staff roles, improving security staffing, and addressing wage differences.
Some additional demands include better flexibility in pension matters under the National Pension System (NPS), updating career progression frameworks, and including more factors in pension calculations. They have also raised concerns about staffing shortages, outsourcing practices, and employee medical benefits.
If the strike occurs, SBI customers may face disruptions in branch services, such as cash transactions, cheque processing, and in-person banking, on May 25 and 26. Digital banking services remain functional, but some transactions delayed due to less backend processing.
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