Government keeps banks open Sunday ahead of nationwide
The Reserve Bank of India has approved Sunday operations for all banks to mitigate disruption from a three-day nationwide strike called by the United Forum
The United Forum of Bank Unions has called for a nationwide strike from September 28 to 30, 2026, citing demands including a five-day banking week and withdrawal of the Performance Linked Incentive scheme. The government and the Reserve Bank of India have moved to keep banks open on Sunday, September 27, to ensure continuity of essential services ahead of the industrial action.
Government and RBI response
The Reserve Bank of India approved the opening of all bank branches, offices, ATM-linked branches, and currency chests on September 27. Public sector banks and regional rural banks will remain open and operate normally on that day. The Ministry of Finance said the decision was taken in view of the strike called by UFBU. This measure seeks to limit the impact of the proposed shutdown on banking operations.
The government and bank managements have appealed to unions to defer the proposed strike. The Department of Financial Services and the Indian Banks' Association appealed to unions on Tuesday to resolve remaining demands through dialogue. The government said it has already decided to keep the PLI scheme in abeyance following discussions with the unions. "The welfare and convenience of bank customers remains the Government's foremost priority," the Ministry of Finance said. Steps are being taken to ensure essential banking services continue without interruption.
Impact and timing of the strike
The proposed strike coincides with the half-yearly closing of banks on September 30. Disruption during this period could affect reconciliation, provisioning, treasury, and market-related activities. The strike comes immediately after the weekend holidays, with September 26 and 27 falling on a weekend. This could lead to an extended disruption in banking services.
Major banks have advised customers to plan ahead. State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda and Canara Bank have asked customers to complete important branch transactions in advance and to use digital channels where possible. With the second Saturday, September 26, remaining a bank holiday, customers who need branch services effectively have September 25 or September 27 to complete urgent work. Businesses should consider the timing due to September 30 being the half-yearly closing date.
Additional union demands and context
The United Forum of Bank Unions, which claims to represent 90 per cent of the banking workforce, has raised several other demands. Beyond the five-day week and PLI scheme, these include an option for employees covered under the National Pension System to move to the old pension scheme. The unions are also demanding a uniform dearness allowance formula for all pensioners.
The demand for a five-day workweek, which would mean eliminating the remaining working Saturdays, is still under examination. The government declared the second and fourth Saturdays as holidays for public sector banks in 2015. A conciliation meeting on Tuesday ended without a resolution. The UFBU said it would consider deferring the strike if there is concrete and positive development towards implementation of its demand for introduction of five days banking. In the absence of progress, the UFBU said it would be 'constrained' to go ahead with the proposed strike.
