SBI, BoB and Canara Bank flag five-day payment risk around proposed September strike

SBI, Bank of Baroda and Canara Bank have advised customers to complete branch-led transactions early and use digital channels ahead of a proposed September 28–30, 2026 strike. Including the preceding weekend, disruption could affect settlements, cash handling, government payments and retailer operations for up to five days.

— Source publishedWed, 23 Sept, 2026, 09:45 IST·First seen Wed, 23 Sept, 2026, 10:00 IST·Source ET Small Business

What happened

State Bank of India · SBI, Bank of Baroda and Canara Bank urged customers and businesses to complete branch transactions before a proposed September 28-30 bank

Key facts

  • Three-day strike from September 28 to 30, 2026
  • Potential five-day banking disruption including preceding weekend
  • UFBU claims to represent 90% of banking workforce

Why this matters

Retail operators should accelerate cash deposits, payroll, supplier transfers and branch-dependent settlements before September 28, while preparing digital-payment and liquidity contingencies for a potential five-day disruption.

What to watch

  • Formal strike confirmation, union participation levels and any withdrawal or postponement announcement.
  • RBI, NPCI, bank and payment-network advisories on UPI, IMPS, NEFT, RTGS, ATM replenishment and cheque-clearing availability.
  • Acquirer or gateway alerts showing rising declines, delayed settlements or transaction caps.
  • Cash-in-transit capacity, ATM cash-out rates and branch cash-deposit cut-off changes.
  • Retailer exposure to SBI, Bank of Baroda or Canara Bank for collections, payroll, merchant acquiring or supplier disbursements.