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Mumbai. SBI waives ATM cash withdrawal charges for three days as bank strike shuts branches nationwide
State Bank of India (SBI) will not charge customers for withdrawing cash from its ATMs from September 28 to 30, when bank employees across the country go on a three-day strike. Bank branches will remain closed during the protest, while digital banking services will continue to be available.
The strike has been called by bank employee unions demanding a five-day working week. The unions have said their protest will continue until the government announces a firm date for introducing the five-day work system in banks.
Seven major unions join three-day nationwide bank strike
More than 90% of bank employees are associated with the seven unions participating in the strike. These include the All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA), All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC), National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE), All India Bank Officers' Association (AIBOA), Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI), Indian National Bank Employees' Federation (INBEF) and Indian National Bank Officers' Congress (INBOC).
The unions have maintained that the five-day working week remains their key demand and have sought a clear implementation date from the government.
- Strike dates: September 28-30
- SBI ATM cash withdrawal charges: Waived during the strike
- Seven major bank unions are participating
- More than 90% of bank employees are linked to these unions
Banks to open on Sunday before strike begins
To reduce the impact of the three-day shutdown, the Finance Ministry has directed all public sector banks and regional rural banks to remain open on Sunday, September 27.
The move is aimed at allowing customers to complete essential banking work before the strike begins. Services such as cash withdrawals, cheque clearance and other branch-related work could otherwise be affected during the three-day closure.
Government denies making commitment on five-day work
Reports emerging ahead of the strike have said the government never promised to introduce a five-day working week for banks.
A Finance Ministry source cited in the report said the issue was not discussed during salary revision talks. According to the source, the demand was raised unilaterally by employee unions and no agreement was reached between the two sides.
PLI rules add another point of disagreement
The five-day working demand is not the only issue bringing bank unions and the government at odds. The unions are also opposing changes related to performance-linked incentives, or PLI.
The government has introduced a new bonus rule for senior bank officers at Scale-IV and above.
Under the new system, officers who perform well can receive incentives or bonuses equivalent to up to 365 days of their basic salary.
- Five-day working remains the main demand
- Unions are also opposing the new PLI rules
- The disputed incentive applies to senior officers at Scale-IV and above
With branches closed for three days, customers are being advised to plan essential branch-based transactions around the strike period. SBI has separately announced that cash withdrawals from its ATMs will not attract charges during the three-day period.
- September 27: Public sector and regional rural banks to remain open
- September 28-30: Three-day bank employees' strike
- SBI ATM withdrawals: No charges during the strike
- Digital banking services will continue to remain available
