In light of the proposed three-day strike from September 28 to 30 called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), the government on Wednesday said all public sector banks and regional rural banks will remain open on Sunday, September 27, 2026. According to a statement from the Ministry of Finance, the government has taken proactive steps to safeguard citizens’ banking needs.
The proposed strike is significant because it falls on the preceding weekend holidays of September 26 and 27. In light of this, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved all bank branches, offices, ATM-linked branches, and Currency Chests to remain fully operational on September 27.
“In order to ensure that the genuine banking needs of the public are not adversely affected for an extended period, all Public Sector Banks and Regional Rural Banks will function normally on Sunday, the 27th of September, 2026,” read a statement by the Ministry of Finance.
Government appeals to defer proposed strike
The Ministry of Finance reiterated that the welfare and convenience of bank customers remain the government’s foremost priority. The government and bank management have also appealed to unions to defer the proposed strike and have taken measures to ensure essential banking services continue uninterrupted.
Bank unions to go ahead with 3-day nationwide strike
Meanwhile, the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) said it would proceed with the three-day nationwide strike beginning September 28, as a conciliation meeting before the Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner on Tuesday remained inconclusive.
The conciliation meeting was held a day after the Finance Ministry appealed to bank employees to avoid strikes and resolve their remaining demands through dialogue.
UFBU, which claims to represent 90 per cent of the banking workforce, is primarily seeking 5-day banking among other demands.
The strike, if it materialises, may impact banking services. The proposed 3-day strike period also coincides with banks’ half-yearly closing on September 30, a date of particular significance for reconciliation, provisioning, and treasury and market operations.
Many public sector banks have started issuing advisories to their customers to use digital channels such as Mobile Banking, ATM, Internet Banking, BC Point and UPI for banking needs if the strike materialises.
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