Banks will remain open on Sunday, September 27, as the Centre moves to reduce inconvenience for customers ahead of a proposed three-day nationwide bank strike from September 28 to 30.
The Finance Ministry announced that all Public Sector Banks and Regional Rural Banks will function normally on Sunday, despite the scheduled weekend holiday. The Reserve Bank of India has also approved the opening of bank branches, offices, ATM-linked branches and currency chests on that day.
The decision comes as the proposed strike follows the weekend holidays on September 26 and 27, potentially creating an extended disruption in branch-based banking services. The government and bank managements have appealed to unions to defer the strike, while measures are being taken to maintain essential services.
The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has called the three-day strike, with the demand for a five-day banking week among its principal issues. Other demands include changes to pension arrangements, a uniform dearness allowance for pensioners and an option for employees covered under the National Pension System to move to the Old Pension Scheme.
The timing of the proposed strike is also significant because September 30 marks the banking sector’s half-yearly closing, when reconciliation, provisioning and treasury-related operations are undertaken. Banks have advised customers to complete important branch-based transactions beforehand and use digital banking facilities where possible.
With Sunday operations approved, customers will get an additional opportunity to complete essential banking work before the proposed strike begins.
