State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest public sector lender, has warned customers of possible disruption to banking services after strike notices from the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) were issued.
The bank had already provided stock exchanges with the news on September 7, 2026, in a regulatory filing and also informed them of the proposed industrial action at the end of September and again on October 26.
SBI has assured customers that it will take steps to ensure branches and offices continue operating during the strike period, but for SBI, operations would be impacted if a large number of employees participated in the agitation.
SBI said in a statement that it has made arrangements to keep operations normal in its network. But it said work could be affected if there is a strike in terms of employee participation in the strike.
SBI Strike Dates Announced
The strike schedule is proposed on the following dates:
- September 11, 2026 (Friday)
- September 28, 2026 (Monday)
- September 29, 2026 (Tuesday)
- September 30, 2026 (Wednesday)
- Continuous strike from October 26, 2026
The September 28–30 strike has been scheduled as a three-day nationwide action. In addition, unions have announced a continuous strike beginning October 26, but the duration of that protest has not yet been specified.
Which Unions Are Participating?
The strike notice has been presented by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), which is a federation of banking employees' unions and associations.
They are All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC), National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE), All India Bank Officers Association (AIBOA), Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI), Indian National Bank Employees Federation (INBEF), Indian National Bank Officers Congress (INBOC).
The disclosure was made by SBI pursuant to Regulation 30 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements Regulations, 2015, and is required by law for listed companies to inform investors about major developments that could impact operations.
What Services Could Be Affected?
While SBI branches will be open, customers may experience delays in some branch-related services. Counter transactions, cheque clearance, cash deposit and withdrawal assistance, account-related services, and document processing will be affected to some extent if staff participation is high.
All of our customers who are planning important banking activities during the strike period are advised to complete their branch work in advance to avoid inconvenience.
Corporate customers and businesses that depend on branch operations may also have to prepare transactions ahead of time in order not to be delayed by the financial process.
Will ATMs and Online Banking Work?
SBI’s filing did not indicate any planned shutdown of digital banking channels. Services such as:
- Internet Banking
- Mobile Banking
- YONO App
- UPI Transactions
- ATM Services
are expected to continue to operate normally during the strike period.
But some localised disruption could still occur in the absence of technical support, experts say, depending on the situation and on whether there is work to be done and the availability of technical support.
Customers Advised to Plan Ahead
On several strike dates in September and October, customers are encouraged to keep track of official announcements from SBI and plan essential banking transactions in advance. Digital banking services are likely to remain available, but branch-based services could be delayed if union participation is widespread.
The upcoming strikes will be closely watched by customers, businesses, and the banking industry as SBI is the biggest lender in India.
