Consumers in India need to carefully plan their banking activities as the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has proposed a three-day nationwide bank strike from September 28 to September 30, 2026. The State Bank of India (SBI) warned customers that banking may be affected and advised them to make essential branch-dependent transactions in advance.
The proposed strike follows bank unions’ nationwide strike on September 11. The UFBU has threatened to escalate industrial action as there are still many employee-related demands to be met. A five-day banking week has been one of the main issues raised by the unions. Issues with performance-linked incentives and pension issues are also among the concerns.
SBI Advises Customers to Plan Transactions Early
SBI has said that it is working to keep the business going in its branches and offices, but banking work is likely to be affected if employees are on strike. The bank has therefore advised customers to make necessary transactions that need to be done in a branch or with staff assistance before the strike begins.
Customers who need physical document verification, assistance from bank officials, submission of documents or other branch-specific services should avoid waiting until the last minute. Planning such activities can reduce the possibility of delays during the strike period.
The advisory is particularly relevant for customers who regularly depend on branch counters for cash-related services, cheque processing, account-related requests and other transactions that cannot always be completed digitally.
When Banking Services Could Be Disrupted for Five Days
While the UFBU strike is set for September 28, 29, and 30, customers could experience a longer interruption in branch-based services since September 26 is the fourth Saturday and September 27 is a Sunday. Both are regular bank holidays.
With the weekend holidays and the three-day strike happening, this means branch-based banking services are going to be affected for five days in many places. The timing is also important because the strike is happening during a half-yearly closing period of banks, so the banking system will be under pressure.
The Finance Ministry has also scheduled discussions with the heads of public sector banks, regional rural banks, Indian Banks Association and NABARD to review contingency arrangements and ensure continuity of essential customer services during the strike period.
What Kind of Banking Services May Continue to Exist?
Even if branch operations are disrupted, customers are expected to have access to some digital and self-service banking facilities.
Services that may remain available include:
- ATMs for cash withdrawals and other eligible services.
- Automated Deposit and Withdrawal Machines (ADWMs), where available.
- Customer Service Points (CSPs) for selected banking facilities.
- Internet banking for transfers, payments and account-related activities.
- Mobile banking services.
- SBI's YONO platform for eligible digital services.
- UPI-based payments and fund transfers.
In the aftermath of the September 11 strike, branch-level services including over-the-counter transactions, cash transactions and cheque clearing were affected in some parts of the country, and digital banking services were still available. The impact varied from place to place.
Which Services Could Be Delayed?
Some services that require customers to physically visit a bank branch or contact an employee could be disrupted during the strike.
These may be cash counter services, physical document submissions, account-related requests that require staff involvement, cheque processing and other branch-dependent activities. The level of disruption could vary depending on employee involvement and local arrangements in a given location.
So, customers with urgent banking needs are advised to complete such activities before September 26 and not wait for the strike period.
The September 28-30 strike is part of a series of industrial actions from the UFBU. Union members also announced an indefinite nationwide strike beginning October 26, 2026, if their demands were not met.
For customers, the immediate priority is to plan essential branch visits, keep sufficient cash for unavoidable needs and use digital banking channels for routine payments and transfers wherever possible during the strike period.
