SBI customer? ATMs may run dry over weekend due to bank strike

Banking services at the public sector banks (PSBs) across the nation are likely to be hit as several bank employees' unions will be on a two-day strike starting today. Several banks have warned their customers that its services will be impacted. Country's biggest public sector bank SBI  took to its official Twitter handle to notify its customers about banking services across several SBI branches and ATMs getting affected due to the 2-day nationwide strike by the employee union of PSU banks. Banks will remain closed for 3 days - Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Banks will now reopen only on Monday.

The notice also stated that the unions are pressing for demands such as 5-day banking and that these demands "are not possible to be accepted". The notice also went on and stated that the bank will keep its online/alternate channels for banking available 24x7 for the convenience of the customers.

As per an SBI notification, branch operations such as cash deposit, withdrawal, loan disbursement, and cheque clearances will be impacted due to the strike. According to All India Bank Employees' Association(AIBEA), around 10 lakh bank employees in both government and private sector will be on strike.

Demands from the Bank unions are; 20 per cent pay hike on payslip components, 5-day work week, scrapping of the new pension scheme, merger of special allowance with basic pay.

Also read: Bank strike on Feb 1: Will you receive your salary on time?