If you’re planning a bank visit tomorrow, you might want to pause for a second and check the situation first. February 12 could see patchy banking services across India as several bank employee unions join the nationwide Bharat Bandh called by trade unions and farmer groups.
Banks are not officially closed, but don’t expect business as usual either. From slower counters to delayed cheque clearances, customers may feel the impact depending on how many employees participate in the strike locally.
Here’s a simple breakdown of what’s happening and how it could affect you.
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What is Bharat Bandh about?
A joint platform of 10 central trade unions, along with farmer organisations, has called for a nationwide strike to protest against the Centre’s labour and trade policies.
The unions argue that the four new labour codes — which replaced 29 older laws — weaken workers’ rights, job security and social protections. They are also raising concerns over privatisation, wages and social security benefits.
Among their key demands are:
• Withdrawal of the four labour codes
• Scrapping of proposed bills like the Electricity Amendment Bill and Draft Seed Bill
• Restoration of MGNREGA
• Rollback of certain employment and rural livelihood schemes
Union leaders say strike notices have been issued across multiple sectors, including banking, transport and government offices.
Are banks officially closed tomorrow?
No. February 12 is not listed as an official bank holiday by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
This means branches are technically open.
However, things may not run smoothly.
Several major bank unions — including All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), All India Bank Officers Association (AIBOA) and Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) — have asked members to participate in the strike.
State Bank of India has acknowledged that services could be affected. According to reports, SBI indicated work may be impacted “to a limited extent” during the strike. IDBI Bank has also received a formal strike notice.
So while shutters may be up, staff shortages could slow operations.
What services might get disrupted?
If you’re heading to a branch, be prepared for delays.
Services that could be affected include:
• Over-the-counter transactions
• Deposits and withdrawals at branches
• Cheque clearing
• Customer support desks
Digital services should mostly work fine. ATMs, mobile banking and net banking are expected to continue as usual, though minor delays can’t be ruled out if backend operations slow down.
Private banks are likely to function normally, but service levels may vary city to city.
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Should you visit the bank or wait?
If your work is urgent — like a time-sensitive payment or document submission — it’s safer to finish it online or use ATMs.
For routine work, postponing by a day might save you the hassle of standing in a long queue or finding limited staff.
Local conditions will matter the most. In some cities, everything may feel normal. In others, services could slow down significantly.
The bottom line
Think of February 12 as a “partially working” day for banks. They’re open on paper, but not guaranteed to run at full speed.
A quick online transaction today could save you a lot of time tomorrow.
