Summary of this article
Public sector banks and RRBs will open on September 27.
RBI approves branches, offices, ATM-linked branches and currency chests.
Three-day nationwide bank strike is scheduled from September 28-30.
Public sector banks (PSBs) and regional rural banks (RRBs) will remain open on Sunday, September 27, 2026, ahead of a proposed three-day nationwide bank strike. This announcement by the Union Ministry of Finance comes as the proposed strike from September 28-30, follows the weekend holidays on September 26 and 27.
Keeping the banks open on Sunday will give customers another opportunity to visit branches and complete banking work before the proposed strike starts.
Sunday Declared A Working Day For Banks
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved operations at all bank branches, offices, ATM-link branches and currency chests on September 27. PSBs and RRBs will function normally on the day. Customers who have work that needs a branch visit can complete their work on Sunday before the strike from Monday onwards.
The extra working day is important because the weekend holidays come immediately before the strike. Without Sunday operations, customers would have faced a longer break from branch banking. The finance ministry has linked the step to the need for essential banking services during this period.
Customers should note that the announcement covers both PSBs and RRBs. It does not direct private sector banks to remain open on Sunday. Customers of private banks should check their bank’s schedule before visiting a branch on Sunday.
Bank Strike Scheduled From September 28
The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has proposed a three-day nationwide strike from September 28-30. It is scheduled to start on Monday and end on Wednesday.
The government and bank managements have appealed to the unions to defer the strike. The Sunday opening is part of the steps taken by the government ahead of the strike. The decision does not change the proposed strike dates. If the strike goes ahead, customers may face disruption at banks participating in the strike from September 28-30.
The RBI approval also covers currency chests and ATM-link branches, making the Sunday arrangement wider than regular branch operations alone.
The United Forum of Bank Unions and other unions and associations have raised two key demands: a five-day work week for banks along with withdrawal of the performance-linked incentive (PLI) scheme.
The Centre has said that it has already kept the PLI scheme in abeyance following discussions with the unions, but a final decision on the five-day working week is yet to be reached at.
Besides the three-day strike from September 26-30, bank unions have also called for an indefinite from October 26, 202. Previously, bank unions had held a one-day strike on September 11.
