Bank strike from Monday, Sept 28: SBI, PNB, BoB and other PSBs waive ATM charges; what about HDFC, ICICI, Axis? What's open, what's closed?

"Your convenience remains our priority. From 28th to 30th September 2026, ATM transaction charges are waived for customers at any bank's ATM across India," Bank of Baroda said in a post on X.

The ATM fee waiver means customers can use any bank's ATM for essential transactions without worrying about where their monthly free limit stands.

Under Reserve Bank of India norms, savings account holders get five free ATM withdrawals a month at their own bank's ATMs, and at other banks' ATMs, three free transactions in the six metropolitan cities and five elsewhere.

The strike has been called by UFBU to press for a five-day working week for bank employees and other demands including pension updation and the withdrawal of the Performance Linked Incentive scheme.

In its advisory to customers, SBI said certain services may be affected during the strike period. "Customers are therefore requested to complete their essential banking transactions well in advance of the proposed strike dates to avoid any inconvenience. Customers are also requested to make use of ATMs/ADWMs for their cash requirements and utilise YONO, Internet/Mobile Banking, UPI and other digital channels for their banking needs, wherever possible," SBI said.

Bank of India has asked customers to use its 24X7 digital channels, while old-generation private lender Karnataka Bank have warned that normal functioning of branches could be affected.

What will close, what will continue during the three days

Banking services requiring a physical branch or manual staff processing is likely to bear the brunt of the strike. Tasks such as over-the-counter cash deposits and withdrawals, passbook updates, cheque clearing, issuance of fresh demand drafts, KYC and account-related work, loan processing and locker access could all be unavailable or delayed at affected branches. Internal banking operations linked to the half-yearly closing on September 30 may also take a hit.

Digital and self-service channels, however, are expected to run normally. These include UPI payments, mobile and internet banking, ATMs and cash deposit machines will remain available. However, ATM cash availability could vary by location depending on replenishment, as per reports.

What about HDFC, ICICI, Axis and other private banks?

Private sector banks, like HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank etc, are expected to be largely unaffected, since the UFBU deals with public sector banks.

HDFC Bank has already told customers its branches will remain open on Sunday, September 27, and function normally through the strike days.

ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank are similarly expected to operate as usual.

However, private bank customers should still check their banks before visiting a branch, as some localised disruption cannot be ruled out. For customers of public sector banks, Sunday, September 27, is the last window to finish urgent branch-dependent work before the strike begins on Monday.