SBI customer? You can make free ATM withdrawals during 3-day bank strike

The decision will offer relief to customers who will rely on cash machines while the bank branches remain disrupted. The bank made this announcement in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, September 24. Apart from this, SBI would also keep its branches open on Sunday, September 27 ahead of the strike.

SBI said ATM transaction charges would be waived for transactions made through ATMs of any bank in the country during the strike period. This means customers can meet their cash requirements without worrying about the fees that normally apply once their monthly free limits are exhausted.

The ATM fee waiver by SBI comes against the backdrop of the three-day strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), mainly for a five-day banking week.

Earlier, SBI also reiterated that all its branches will remain open on Sunday, September 27, the day the government has directed public sector banks and regional rural banks to function to break the five-day stretch of disrupted branch banking.

In a customer advisory issued on September 24, SBI asked its customers to plan ahead.

"While we are making all possible efforts to provide essential banking services during the strike period, customers are requested to: complete important banking transactions in advance of the strike dates; use ATMs/ADWMs for their cash needs; use Customer Service Points (CSPs); prefer Internet Banking, YONO, Mobile Banking, UPI & other digital channels," SBI said in the advisory.

The timing of the waiver announced by SBI matters for another reason.

To avoid troubles during the proposed bank strike, SBI customers can finish branch-dependent work before September 28, use UPI and mobile banking for routine payments, and use ATMs freely during the strike window, when the charges will not apply.