New Delhi, Sep 2026 : Public sector banks and regional rural banks will remain operational on Sunday, September 27, ahead of a proposed three-day nationwide strike by bank employees from September 28 to 30, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday.
The move has been taken to ensure that customers' genuine banking requirements are not disrupted for an extended period, as the proposed strike will follow the weekend holidays on September 26 and 27.
In a statement, the Finance Ministry said the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has called for the nationwide strike from September 28 to 30. Considering the combination of the proposed strike and preceding holidays, the government has taken measures to ensure continuity of essential banking services.
The Reserve Bank of India has approved the opening and functioning of all bank branches, offices, ATM-linked branches and currency chests on September 27. These establishments will operate normally to provide customers with access to banking facilities before the strike begins.
The Finance Ministry said the welfare and convenience of bank customers remained a priority for the government. It added that the government and bank managements have appealed to the unions to reconsider the proposed strike and have taken steps to minimise any disruption to essential banking services.
The proposed industrial action has been called by the UFBU and other unions representing employees of public sector banks and regional rural banks. The unions have been seeking the implementation of a five-day banking week as well as the withdrawal of the Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.
The government said it had taken note of the concerns raised by the unions and, following detailed discussions, decided to keep the PLI scheme in abeyance. According to the Finance Ministry, this decision addressed one of the two principal demands raised by the unions.
The government has therefore appealed to employees of public sector banks and regional rural banks to withdraw the proposed strike, arguing that substantial progress has already been made on the issues raised by the unions.
“Given that most concerns of the Unions have been substantially addressed,” the Finance Ministry said, the remaining demand continues to be under examination. It also noted that the government was continuing to introduce welfare measures for employees in the banking sector.
The ministry urged bank employees to resolve outstanding issues through dialogue and refrain from industrial action to ensure that banking operations remain uninterrupted.
The decision to keep branches operational on September 27 is aimed at providing customers with an additional opportunity to complete essential banking transactions before the proposed strike period.
With the RBI approval covering branches, offices, ATM-linked branches and currency chests, the government expects banking services to remain accessible to the public on the additional working day.
The proposed strike and the government's measures to maintain banking operations come amid continuing discussions between bank unions, managements and the government over employees' demands and working arrangements.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
