Bank strike September 28-30: 3 things customers should do before 3-day nationwide strike

This could make it particularly important for customers to complete time-sensitive banking work before the strike.

Bank strike September 28-30: Why customers need to plan ahead

The UFBU has said that its three-day nationwide strike will go ahead on September 28, 29 and 30 if there is no concrete and positive development on its demand for five-day banking.

A conciliation meeting before the Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner on September 22 remained inconclusive.

The unions' demands include five-day banking, pension-related improvements, a uniform dearness allowance formula for pensioners and an option for employees covered under the National Pension System (NPS) to switch to the old pension scheme.

Will bank branches be closed during the strike?

If the strike goes ahead as announced, bank branch operations could be affected during the three-day strike period.

Customers should therefore avoid leaving branch-dependent work until the last minute.

This is particularly relevant for customers who need services that cannot easily be completed through mobile banking, internet banking, ATMs, UPI or other digital channels.

Bank strike: What customers should do before September 28

Customers who expect to need cash during the strike period may want to plan their withdrawals in advance.

ATMs are expected to remain an important channel for customers during the disruption, although availability of cash can vary by location and circumstances.

If you need to visit your bank branch for any pending work, consider completing it before September 28.

This can include documentation, account-related requests and other services requiring branch staff.

Customers and businesses with pending cheque-related transactions should factor the strike into their planning.

The proposed strike coincides with the half-yearly closing of banks, making September 30 an important date for banking operations.

Use UPI and mobile banking for routine payments

Customers can therefore plan routine digital payments and transfers through available online channels instead of waiting for branch services to resume.

Businesses should plan for the longer disruption window

For businesses, the issue is not limited to the three strike days.

The proposed strike follows the preceding weekend, potentially creating an effective five-day period of disruption for some branch-based banking activities.

Businesses with salary payments, vendor payments, government transactions, reconciliation or other time-sensitive banking requirements may therefore need to plan ahead.

Why September 30 is important for banking customers

September 30 marks the half-yearly closing of banks.

The date is significant for activities such as reconciliation, provisioning and treasury and market operations.

With the proposed strike scheduled for September 28-30, customers and businesses with time-sensitive banking requirements should take the calendar into account.

What about UPI, ATMs and internet banking?

The strike is primarily expected to affect banking operations and services involving bank employees and branches.

Several public sector banks have advised customers to use digital channels such as:

• UPI

• Mobile banking

• Internet banking

• ATMs

• Business Correspondent (BC) points

These channels can help customers carry out routine banking transactions while branch services are disrupted.

However, customers should not assume that every banking service will be available through digital channels. Services requiring physical branch intervention may have to wait until normal operations resume.

Bank strike: What happens after September 30?

The proposed strike is scheduled for September 28, 29 and 30.

The UFBU has said it could reconsider the strike if there is concrete and positive progress towards implementing five-day banking.

For customers, the immediate takeaway is simple: if you have any banking work that is time-sensitive or requires a branch visit, do not wait until the last working day before the proposed strike.

With the weekend immediately preceding the strike and the half-yearly closing falling on September 30, planning ahead could help customers avoid unnecessary disruption.