New Delhi: Public sector banks and Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) will remain open and function normally on Sunday, September 27, ahead of a proposed three-day nationwide bank strike from September 28 to 30. The decision has been taken to ensure that customers have access to essential banking services before the proposed strike begins.
The Finance Ministry said the additional working day has been announced because the proposed strike follows the regular weekend holidays on September 26 and 27. Without the Sunday opening, customers could have faced an extended period without normal branch-based banking services.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the operation of bank branches, offices, ATM-linked branches and currency chests on September 27. The government and bank managements have also appealed to bank unions to defer the proposed strike.
Why are banks opening on Sunday?
The Sunday opening is linked to the three-day strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU). The proposed strike is scheduled for September 28, 29 and 30.
With September 26 and 27 falling on the weekend immediately before the strike, the government said customers could otherwise face prolonged disruption in branch banking services. Opening banks on September 27 provides an additional working day for customers to complete transactions that require physical access to a branch.
The RBI approval covers bank branches and offices as well as ATM-linked branches and currency chests. This means the banking network covered by the order will remain operational on the Sunday.
The government has described the move as a measure to safeguard customers’ banking requirements and reduce inconvenience during the proposed strike period.
What are bank unions demanding?
The UFBU has called the proposed strike primarily over the demand for a five-day banking week. The unions have also raised issues concerning pension benefits and other service-related matters.
According to current reports, their demands include an improvement in pension benefits, a uniform dearness allowance formula for pensioners and an option for employees covered under the National Pension System (NPS) to shift to the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).
The UFBU has said it represents a large share of the banking workforce. The proposed industrial action follows an earlier one-day strike on September 11, according to reports.
The government and bank managements have appealed to the unions to defer the proposed strike and continue discussions on the outstanding issues. As of September 23, the three-day strike remained proposed.
September 30 is also important for banks
The proposed strike coincides with September 30, which marks the half-yearly closing of the banking sector.
The date is significant for banking operations involving reconciliation, provisioning, treasury activities and market-related work. A strike during the closing period could therefore affect not only routine customer services but also institutional banking operations.
The Sunday opening gives customers an opportunity to complete important branch-related transactions before the proposed strike dates.
What should bank customers do?
Customers who have essential branch-dependent work can consider using Sunday, September 27, as an additional banking day.
Several public sector banks have also advised customers to make use of digital channels wherever possible if the strike goes ahead. These include mobile banking, internet banking, ATMs, UPI and Business Correspondent points, depending on the service required.
Customers requiring services that cannot be completed digitally may benefit from completing those transactions before September 28.
The proposed strike does not mean that all banking services will necessarily become unavailable. Digital payment systems and other automated services may continue to operate, although customers should check individual bank advisories for service-specific information.
Government appeals to unions to defer strike
The Finance Ministry said the government and bank managements have appealed to the unions to defer the proposed strike. At the same time, steps have been taken to ensure that essential banking services remain available.
The Sunday opening is therefore a customer-focused measure intended to provide an additional opportunity for banking transactions before the proposed three-day strike.
The situation could change if negotiations between bank managements, the government and unions lead to an agreement or if the strike is deferred. Customers should therefore check their respective bank’s latest advisory before planning branch visits during the strike period.
Conclusion
Public sector banks and Regional Rural Banks will operate normally on Sunday, September 27, 2026, following RBI approval for branches, offices, ATM-linked branches and currency chests to remain operational. The move comes ahead of the proposed UFBU strike from September 28 to 30 and is intended to reduce the impact of the preceding weekend and possible disruption to banking services.