- Government ordered Sunday bank opening before three-day strike.
- Unions plan September 28-30 strike for five-day week.
- Strike follows weekend, impacting half-yearly financial closing.
A potentially long stretch of disruption for bank customers has prompted the government to open bank branches on a Sunday.
All banks, including Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), will remain operational on Sunday, September 27, giving customers an extra day to complete essential banking work before the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) begins its proposed three-day nationwide strike from September 28.
The unusual Sunday opening has been announced after the proposed strike was set to follow the September 26-27 weekend break, raising the possibility of several consecutive days of disruption to physical banking services.
The Finance Ministry said the decision was aimed at ensuring that customers’ banking requirements are not affected for an extended period.
Why September 27 Will Be A Working Day For Banks
The Finance Ministry said all Public Sector Banks and Regional Rural Banks will function normally on September 27, reported PTI.
The Reserve Bank of India has also approved the operation of bank branches, offices, ATM-linked branches and currency chests on the day.
The government said the move was necessary in view of the proposed strike from September 28 to 30 and the weekend holidays immediately preceding it.
It has also appealed to the UFBU to defer the strike, while bank managements have separately urged employees to avoid participating in the proposed action.
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Three-Day Strike Could Coincide With Half-Yearly Closing
The UFBU, which claims to represent around 90 per cent of India’s banking workforce, is seeking a five-day banking week as its principal demand.
The unions have also raised demands relating to pension and retirement benefits, including improvements in pension, a uniform dearness allowance formula for pensioners and an option for NPS-covered employees to switch to the old pension scheme.
The proposed strike will run from September 28 to 30.
The final day is particularly significant for banks because September 30 marks the half-yearly closing of the banking sector. The date involves activities such as reconciliation, provisioning and treasury and market operations.
This means the strike is set to overlap with a key period in the banking calendar, adding to the operational challenge for banks.
Banks Tell Customers: Finish Essential Work Early
Public sector banks have begun issuing advisories asking customers not to wait until the last minute for essential banking transactions.
Customers have been encouraged to use digital banking facilities wherever possible, including, mobile banking, internet banking, UPI, ATMs, and Business Correspondent (BC) points.
Banks have also advised customers to complete branch-dependent work ahead of the proposed strike dates.
The special Sunday opening now gives customers another opportunity to visit a branch before the three-day strike is scheduled to begin.
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Why The Government Is Taking Extra Steps
The Finance Ministry said the welfare and convenience of bank customers remained its foremost priority.
It said the government and bank managements had appealed to unions to defer the strike and had taken steps to ensure essential banking services continue.
The Sunday opening is therefore intended to cushion the impact of the proposed industrial action by creating an additional working day immediately before the strike.
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