Your weekend banking plans just changed: See why banks will open this Sunday before three-day strike

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has called for a nationwide strike from September 28 to September 30, 2026. Because these strike dates coincide with the preceding weekend of September 26 and 27, the Ministry of Finance took proactive steps to safeguard citizens' banking needs.

The Ministry stated that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved all bank branches, offices, ATM-linked branches, and currency chests to function normally on Sunday, September 27, 2026.

While the government and bank managements have appealed to unions to defer the strike, authorities have implemented continuity measures, emphasizing that customer welfare and convenience remain a foremost priority.

Reasons Behind the Strike

Bank unions are pressing two primary demands:

Five-Day Workweek: Unions are demanding a complete closure on all Saturdays, replacing the current schedule where banks remain closed only on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month.

PLI Scheme Withdrawal: Unions are protesting against the Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.

While the government has reportedly paused the PLI scheme, no official decision has been reached regarding the five-day workweek.

YK Arora, General Secretary of the National Confederation of Bank of India Staff Unions (NCBISU), noted that the demand has persisted for years.

“This demand has been going on for years. In 2024, the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) and other bank unions agreed to increasing the working hours on weekdays in lieu for the working hours lost on Saturdays. The proposal was then sent to the government for approval but it is still pending,” Arora told ThePrint.