Next week, thousands of bank branches in India will be shut down for four days in a row. This is because of a two-day strike called by four unions of bank officers.

The four unions have given a call for a strike on September 26 and 27. Sept 28 will be a holiday because it's the fourth Saturday. Sept 19 is a Sunday.

The strike will be to protest the recent decision of the Narendra Modi government to merge 10 public-sector banks. "The unions have given the call strategically so that maximum pressure can be exerted on the government," a commentator says.

Since the number of holidays is high, even ATM services might stand affected severely. Customers are expected to queue up at ATMs in the coming days in anticipation of a shortage of cash.