In a significant move aimed at preventing disruption to banking services, the Finance Ministry has directed all Public Sector Banks (PSBs) and Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) to remain open and function normally on Sunday, September 27, 2026.
The decision comes ahead of a proposed three-day nationwide bank strike scheduled for September 28 to 30. The strike has been called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) and comes immediately after the weekend holidays on September 26 and 27. The government has taken the Sunday-opening step to ensure that customers do not face an extended interruption in access to banking services.
The Reserve Bank of India has approved the operation of all bank branches, offices, ATM-linked branches and currency chests on September 27. This means that the participating public sector and regional rural banking network will be available for regular banking operations on the otherwise scheduled Sunday holiday.
The proposed strike is scheduled to begin on Monday, September 28, and continue through Wednesday, September 30. Since the strike follows the preceding weekend, the government has described the situation as a potential extended disruption for customers, businesses and government-related banking transactions.
The Finance Ministry has also appealed to bank unions to defer the proposed strike and resolve outstanding issues through dialogue. According to the ministry, one of the unions' major demands relating to the Performance Linked Incentive scheme has already been addressed by keeping the scheme in abeyance. The remaining major demand concerns implementation of a five-day banking week.
Bank unions have been pursuing the demand for a five-day working week for banks. A one-day strike was held on September 11, while the unions have now scheduled the three-day action for September 28-30. The government has also noted that an indefinite strike has been proposed from October 26 over the five-day workweek demand.
The timing of the September strike is particularly significant because September 30 marks the half-yearly closing period for banks. Banking operations around this date involve reconciliation, provisioning and treasury and market-related activities, making uninterrupted operations important for financial institutions and their customers.
For ordinary customers, the decision to keep PSBs and RRBs open on September 27 provides an additional opportunity to complete branch-based transactions before the proposed strike begins. Customers who have important banking work can therefore use Sunday to complete eligible transactions rather than waiting until after the strike period.
However, the proposed strike itself remains scheduled for September 28 to 30 unless there is a subsequent change following discussions between the government, bank managements and employee organisations. The Finance Ministry has said that steps are being taken to ensure essential banking services continue with minimum disruption.
The Sunday opening is therefore intended as a preventive measure to reduce the impact of the proposed strike and the preceding weekend holidays. Customers using public sector and regional rural banks should check their individual bank's branch-level instructions for specific services and timings.
Journalist: Vijay Singh