Banks may stay shut for 5 straight days end-September, finish urgent work early

If you have any urgent bank-related work to finish by the end of September, this concerns you. The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has proposed a three-day nationwide strike from September 28 to 30, 2026. The organisation claims it represents around 90 percent of officers and employees in the banking sector.

Since normal operations at bank branches could be disrupted during the strike, the State Bank of India (SBI), the country's largest bank, has clearly advised its customers to complete all essential work in time.

The proposed three-day strike from September 28 to 30 is preceded by the fourth Saturday on September 26 and the weekly Sunday holiday on September 27. As a result, customers could find it difficult to get branch work done for five consecutive days, from September 26 to 30. Customers who need to visit a branch to complete any work have been advised to do so before September 25.

SBI has alerted all its customers about this through a message. The bank's message reads, "Dear bank customer, some employee organisations have called for a 3-day strike from September 28 to 30, 2026. Please complete your essential banking work in advance. For banking services, use ATM/ADWM, customer service centres, YONO, UPI or other digital services." The bank also said that the impact on branch operations would depend on staff participation in the strike, but that it would make every effort to keep services running smoothly.

Work that requires the help of bank staff or the submission of original documents could be more affected by the strike. Tasks such as cash deposits, cheque-related work, KYC updates, submission of documents, obtaining demand drafts (DD), or other work requiring staff assistance may get stuck or delayed during these days. The cheque clearing process could also face disruption.

The essential checklist for customers is this: complete all remaining branch work before September 25, arrange for necessary cash in advance through an ATM or ADWM, keep enough balance in the account so that auto-debits for EMIs and SIPs do not bounce, use UPI and net banking for online transactions, get KYC, cheque processing and document-related work done in advance, and if the deadline for any banking task falls between September 28 and 30, complete it ahead of time.

The proposed strike will have the biggest impact on direct services at bank branches. SBI and other banks have advised customers to use digital channels such as internet banking, the YONO mobile app and UPI. Through these online services, transferring money, paying mobile and electricity bills, and other everyday transactions can be carried out without interruption.

Payment of EMIs or credit card bills will not stop because of the bank strike. Customers can make their payments on time through UPI, net banking, mobile banking or other digital options. Most importantly, there should be sufficient balance in the account for EMI, SIP or any auto-debit. If the due date for any bill falls during these strike days, it would be advisable to pay it in advance rather than waiting until the last moment.

On the reason for the strike, the UFBU has mainly demanded the implementation of a 5-day banking work week. Along with this, the nationwide strike has also been called over demands for improving employees' pensions, implementing a uniform dearness allowance (DA) formula for all pensioners, and giving employees under the National Pension System (NPS) the option to join the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).