As bank staff prepare for a proposed three-day nationwide strike from September 28 to 30, the State Bank of India (SBI) announced on Friday that it will waive ATM transaction charges during the strike period.
SBI said it took the step to ensure customer convenience and prevent disruptions to banking transactions during the strike.
In a post on X, SBI said its services would remain available to customers for their banking needs throughout the proposed strike.
The bank said it will waive ATM charges from September 28 to 30, 2026, allowing customers to make transactions at any bank’s ATM without incurring charges.
SBI also announced that all its branches will remain open on Sunday to support customers during the strike period. In addition, digital payment services such as UPI, IMPS, RTGS, and NEFT will continue to operate as usual.
To minimise disruptions to essential banking services, the government has directed public sector banks to remain open on Sunday.
The Reserve Bank of India has also approved the continued operation of all bank branches, offices, ATM-linked branches, and currency chests on Sunday, September 27.
The Finance Ministry said all public sector banks and Regional Rural Banks will operate normally on Sunday.
The ministry said the government had taken proactive measures to protect customers’ banking needs ahead of the proposed three-day nationwide strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) from September 28 to 30. The strike follows the bank holidays on September 26 and 27.
The timing of the strike could have extended the disruption in banking services to five consecutive days because of the preceding weekend holidays. The government’s measures aim to reduce the impact on economic activity and ensure access to essential banking services.
The Finance Ministry said the government considers the welfare and convenience of bank customers a top priority. The government and bank managements have urged unions to defer the proposed strike and have taken steps to keep essential banking services running without interruption.