ATM cash-loading staff call strike in some states demanding wage revision | Finance News
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The strike may also affect some southern states, including Karnataka
A strike by cash replenishment staff employed by cash management companies such as CMS Info Systems and Hitachi Payment Services in some northern states is expected to affect cash loading in automated teller machines (ATMs), bankers said.
According to sources, the cash-loading staff are demanding a wage revision in Delhi, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. The strike, which is already under way, may also affect some southern states, including Karnataka. “The strike is likely to impact cash loading in vendor-managed ATMs. As a result, ATMs in some of these states may run out of cash in the coming days,” said an official of a public-sector bank (PSB).
The total number of ATMs, including white-label ATMs, is around 250,000.
Queries sent to CMS and Hitachi did not elicit a response until the time of going to press.
Industry players said the strike is the result of a standoff between banks and cash management companies. In a letter to the Indian Banks’ Association last month, the Confederation of ATM Industry (CATMi) said the ATM network is under strain and urged banks to engage directly with operators to resolve the issues before “damage becomes structural”.
Industry players said PSBs, with their large ATM networks, could be the worst affected by the strike.
CATMi had said the new wage code has reset the statutory wage base, while fuel prices have been hiked multiple times since the price freeze was lifted in May 2026. The association estimated a near-term increase in operating costs of around 20 per cent.
The association also said monthly ATM cash withdrawals fell from 570 million in January 2023 to 484.3 million in January 2025 — a cumulative decline of 14 per cent over two years.
First Published: Jul 13 2026 | 10:15 PM IST
