All public sector banks and Regional Rural Banks will remain open on Sunday, September 27, as the government takes measures to minimize disruption ahead of a proposed three-day nationwide bank strike from September 28 to 30.
The Finance Ministry said the decision was aimed at ensuring continued access to banking services following the weekend and ahead of the proposed strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU).
The UFBU, which says it represents around 90 percent of the banking workforce, has called for the strike primarily to demand the introduction of a five-day banking week, along with several other demands.
The Reserve Bank of India has approved the functioning of bank branches, offices, ATM-linked branches and currency chests on September 27, according to the Finance Ministry.
The government said the move was intended to prevent customers from facing an extended interruption in banking services due to the weekend holidays and the proposed strike.
The Department of Financial Services said the welfare and convenience of bank customers remained a priority. The government and bank managements have appealed to the unions to defer the proposed strike while taking measures to maintain essential banking services.
Among the other demands raised by the UFBU are changes and improvements to pension benefits, a uniform dearness allowance formula for pensioners and an option for employees covered by the National Pension System to switch to the old pension scheme.
Several public sector banks have also advised customers to use digital banking services if the strike goes ahead. These include mobile banking, internet banking, ATMs, UPI and Business Correspondent points.
Customers have been encouraged to complete important transactions in advance to minimize inconvenience during the proposed strike period.
The proposed strike also coincides with the half-yearly closing of banks on September 30, an important date for reconciliation, provisioning and treasury and market-related operations.
