Banks to remain open on Sunday, September 27, ahead of three-day nationwide strike

Banks will remain open on Sunday, September 27, to facilitate customers ahead of a three-day nationwide strike by bank employees from September 28 to 30, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday.

All public sector banks and regional rural banks will function normally on September 27, a Sunday, in view of the proposed strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), the ministry said.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the opening of all bank branches, offices, ATM-linked branches and currency chests on September 27, it said.

The move comes as the strike is set to coincide with the preceding weekend holidays on September 26 and 27.

"The government has taken proactive steps to safeguard the banking needs of citizens," the ministry said.

The three-day strike is set to go ahead after a conciliation meeting between bank unions, the government and the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) failed to yield a positive response on the unions' demand for a five-day banking week.

The UFBU said on Tuesday that it would proceed with the strike after the Department of Financial Services (DFS) and IBA appealed to it to defer the agitation.

"Strike stands - go ahead," the UFBU said in a circular issued after the conciliation meeting convened by the Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner in New Delhi.

The unions said there had been no response to their demand for implementing a five-day banking week, which was agreed upon and signed as part of the March 2024 wage revision settlement.

The UFBU said it would consider deferring the strike if there was any "concrete and positive development" towards implementing five-day banking. In the absence of such a development, it said, the strike would proceed on September 28, 29 and 30.

The unions are seeking declaration of all Saturdays as holidays for bank employees. The demand was part of the 12th Bipartite Settlement signed between the IBA and bank unions in March 2024 but is awaiting government notification.

Currently, banks remain open on the first, third and fifth Saturdays of a month. Under the proposed five-day banking system, operations would be restricted to Monday to Friday, with daily working hours increased by 40 minutes.

The strike follows a one-day nationwide bank strike on September 11. The unions have also given a call for an indefinite strike from October 26.