Bank strike next week: Banks to remain open on Sept 27; SBI issues key advisory ahead of Sept 28-30

Bank customers may face disruption in branch-based services next week as public sector bank unions have called a three-day strike from September 28 to September 30, 2026.

The strike follows the September 26-27 weekend, raising concerns about a possible five-day gap in physical banking services.

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Why are banks facing a three-day strike?

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) and other bank employee organisations have called a three-day strike from September 28 to September 30 over the demand for a five-day banking workweek.

The Ministry of Finance said unions had originally raised two major demands: implementing a five-day banking week and withdrawing the Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. The government has said that it has already kept the PLI scheme in abeyance, while the five-day workweek issue remains under consideration.

The government has appealed to bank employees to resolve the remaining issue through dialogue and ensure uninterrupted banking services.

September 26-27 weekend adds to disruption

The proposed strike comes immediately after the weekend.

• September 26: Fourth Saturday - bank holiday
• September 27: Sunday - weekly holiday
• September 28: Strike
• September 29: Strike
• September 30: Strike and half-yearly closing

The Finance Ministry has specifically pointed out that September 30 is significant because of half-yearly closing activities involving reconciliation, provisioning, treasury and market operations. It said the combination of the weekend and strike could effectively create a five-day disruption in branch banking services.

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SBI issues advisory to customers

The State Bank of India (SBI) has advised customers to plan their branch-related banking requirements in advance ahead of the proposed strike. SBI has also indicated that customers should make use of alternative banking channels for routine transactions.

Customers can continue to use services such as:

• ATMs
• Customer Service Points (CSPs)
• Internet banking
• Mobile banking
• YONO
• UPI and other digital payment services

However, branch-dependent services could be affected if employees participate in the strike.