Rare Sunday for public- and rural sector-banks: Check if your bank is open or closed today
Public-sector and regional rural banks are open today, September 27, despite Sunday being a weekly holiday for bank employees.
The unusual opening comes ahead of a proposed three-day nationwide strike by bank unions from September 28 to 30, as the government seeks to prevent disruptions to banking services and customer services.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted approval for all bank branches, offices, ATM-linked branches and currency chests to remain fully operational on September 27. This arrangement is aimed at giving customers an additional day to complete essential tasks before in-branch services get disrupted.
The announcement was made after the Finance Ministry held a meeting with the chief executives of public-sector banks and regional rural banks earlier this week.
Are all banks open on Sunday, September 27?
All public-sector banks and regional-rural banks will remain open on Sunday as following instructions from the central bank. Private banks, which are not participating in the proposed strike, may follow their regular holiday schedules and are not necessarily required to open.
Customers of private banks should check with their respective branch or bank’s official communication to confirm whether it is open today.
Steps taken to minimise disruption due to bank strike
Apart from announcing Sunday as a working day for bank employees, the government and banks of the country have taken several other steps to prepare for the strike, in case it materialises.
In one such instance, the Finance Ministry advised government departments to disburse September salaries, wages and pensions to employees ahead of schedule on Friday, September 25.
Similarly, public-sector banks have also lifted charges on ATM transactions exceeding the free monthly limit during the three-day bank strike. Through social media posts, the State Bank of India (SBI), Bank of Baroda, Union Bank of India, Indian Bank, among others, have announced that customers will not have to bear any extra charges for ATM withdrawals during the period.
Bank unions oppose Sunday working
Bank unions have questioned the decision to declare Sunday as a working day for bank employees.
The All India Bank Officers’ Association (AIBOA) had advised its members earlier not to report to work on September 27, citing the day as a holiday under the Industrial Disputes Act.
In a social media post today, the AIBOA has also said that its members will observe the proposed stay-out strike from September 28 to September 30.
Why are bank unions going on a strike?
The main demand of the bank unions is the implementation of a five-day banking week, under which all Saturdays would be holidays. Banks currently remain closed on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month.
The bank unions have also sought the updation of pensions for retired bank employees to better reflect changes in the cost of living.
UFBU claims to represent 90% of the banking workforce, and its other demands include a uniform dearness allowance formula for all pensioners and an option for employees covered under the National Pension System (NPS) to switch to the old pension scheme.
Bank unions under UFBU had previously gone on a nationwide strike on September 11, 2026 over the same demands.
