Public sector banks to open on Sunday ahead of three day strike

MUMBAI: The weekend is getting a banking makeover, with public sector banks preparing to open their doors on Sunday, September 27, ahead of a three-day nationwide bank strike. The move comes after the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) called for a strike from September 28 to 30, 2026. With September 26 and 27 already falling on the preceding weekend, the government has stepped in to prevent customers from facing an extended disruption to banking services.

All Public Sector Banks (PSBs) and Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) will therefore function normally on Sunday, September 27, allowing customers to access banking services a day before the proposed strike begins.

The Reserve Bank of India has approved the move, allowing all bank branches, offices, ATM-linked branches and Currency Chests to remain fully operational on September 27.

The additional working day is intended to ensure that essential banking requirements are not pushed into a prolonged gap created by the combination of weekend holidays and the proposed strike.

The government and bank managements have also appealed to the unions to defer the strike, while putting measures in place to keep essential banking services running.

For customers, September 27 will consequently become an important banking day, particularly for those who may otherwise have planned transactions around the September 26-27 weekend and the three-day strike that follows.