All Banks To Remain Open On Sunday Ahead Of Proposed 3-Day Strike

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New Delhi, Sept 23: All Public Sector Banks and Regional Rural Banks will remain open and function normally on Sunday, September 27, in view of the proposed three-day nationwide bank strike from September 28 to 30, the Ministry of Finance said on Wednesday.

The decision has been taken to ensure that banking services are not disrupted for an extended period, as the proposed strike follows the weekend holidays on September 26 and 27.

The Reserve Bank of India has approved the functioning of all bank branches, offices, ATM-linked branches and currency chests on September 27, the Department of Financial Services said.

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), which claims to represent around 90 per cent of the banking workforce, has called the strike primarily demanding a five-day banking week.

The unions have also raised demands related to pension revision and improvement, a uniform dearness allowance formula for all pensioners and an option for employees covered under the National Pension System to switch to the Old Pension Scheme.

The government and bank managements have appealed to the unions to defer the proposed strike and have taken measures to ensure continuity of essential banking services.

Several public sector banks have advised customers to use digital banking channels, including mobile banking, ATMs, internet banking, Business Correspondent points and UPI, if the strike goes ahead.

Customers have also been advised to complete essential banking transactions in advance to avoid inconvenience during the proposed strike period.

The three-day strike will also coincide with the half-yearly closing of banks on September 30, a key date for reconciliation, provisioning, treasury and market-related operations. (PTI)