Bank strike: branches shut for 5 straight days from September 26 to 30

If you have any urgent bank work, finish it soon, because branches could remain shut for five days in a row. The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), the largest organisation of bank employees, has announced a three day nationwide strike from September 28 to 30. The strike will bring branch operations to a complete halt, and with the Saturday and Sunday holidays attached to it, no work will be possible at banks for five days. The State Bank of India has already told its customers to complete their work before September 26.

The strike itself is only for three days, but branches will be shut for five days because September 26, a Saturday, is the fourth Saturday of the month, which is a bank holiday. September 27, a Sunday, is the usual weekly holiday. Then September 28, 29 and 30, Monday to Wednesday, are the three days of the strike. This means no branch will have anyone available to help with work for five consecutive days, from Saturday to Wednesday.

SBI has said it will try its best to keep services running during the strike, but if a large number of employees join the strike, branch work will become difficult. Tasks that need a bank employee, such as depositing cheques, cheque clearance, taking a new loan, document verification and issuing demand drafts, could be delayed. The bank has therefore asked customers to complete all their work before September 26 rather than waiting until the last moment.

There is no need to worry about ATMs and UPI. Online money transfers will not be affected even if branches are closed. SBI has clarified that all digital services will remain available round the clock. Cash can be withdrawn and deposited at nearby ATMs, and cash deposit machines will also be functional. SBI's YONO app, internet banking and mobile banking will continue to work. Sending money by phone, UPI payments and online shopping will all continue without any problem. NEFT and RTGS services will also remain available. Customer Service Points, or CSP centres, for people in rural areas will also stay open for small transactions. The bank has advised customers to withdraw cash in advance if needed and to use online transactions as much as possible.

This is not the first such strike. A one day strike was held earlier on September 11, and now a three day strike is set to follow. UFBU has warned that if the government does not accept its demands, an indefinite strike will begin from October 26, 2026, in which case there would be no telling how long banks would remain shut. Customers have been advised to prepare in advance for these five days at the end of September to avoid financial trouble, withdraw necessary cash beforehand, and use digital payments as far as possible.