Public sector banks and regional rural banks will open as usual on Sunday, September 27, 2026, ahead of a proposed 3-day nationwide strike by bank unions. The Finance Ministry announced the special working day with approval from the Reserve Bank of India.

The decision covers all public sector banks and regional rural banks. It is designed to give customers an opportunity to complete branch-based banking transactions before the planned strike from September 28 to September 30.

Why Sunday has been declared a working day

The United Forum of Bank Unions, or UFBU, has called the nationwide strike after a conciliation meeting before the Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner failed to deliver a concrete outcome. The union forum subsequently decided to proceed with the action.

The timing raised concerns about an extended disruption. September 26 is the fourth Saturday, when banks will be closed, and September 27 would normally be a Sunday holiday. Without the special opening, customers could have faced 5 consecutive days without regular bank operations when the weekend closures and 3-day strike are counted together.

The Finance Ministry said the Sunday opening was intended to prevent essential banking needs from being affected for an extended period. The government and bank management have also appealed to the unions to call off the strike.

RBI approval covers more than regular branches

The RBI's approval applies not only to regular bank branches. Offices, ATM-linked branches and currency chests will also function normally on Sunday, according to the announcement.

This means customers will have access to the listed banking infrastructure one day before the proposed industrial action begins. The Sunday arrangement is a working-day declaration for public sector banks and regional rural banks; the strike is scheduled to run from September 28 through September 30.

Punjab National Bank has separately announced that all its branches will remain open on Sunday, September 27, for customer convenience. The announcement identifies the bank's branches as part of the Sunday banking arrangement.

What customers should know

Customers planning branch-based work before the strike can use Sunday's opening. The stated arrangement includes:

  • Public sector bank branches
  • Regional rural bank branches
  • Bank offices
  • ATM-linked branches
  • Currency chests

The announcement concerns the normal operation of these listed facilities on September 27. The proposed union action is scheduled to begin the following day and continue for 3 days.

Conclusion

Public sector banks and regional rural banks will work on Sunday, September 27, before the proposed UFBU strike. The step is intended to limit the effect of the weekend closures and give customers access to banking services before the 3-day action.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Will banks be open on Sunday, September 27, 2026?

Yes. Public sector banks and regional rural banks are scheduled to operate normally on that Sunday.

Q. Why are banks opening on a Sunday?

The special opening has been arranged ahead of the proposed nationwide bank strike from September 28 to September 30.

Q. When is the proposed bank strike scheduled?

The United Forum of Bank Unions has scheduled the proposed strike for September 28, September 29 and September 30, 2026.

Q. Which banking facilities will operate on Sunday?

The arrangement includes regular branches, offices, ATM-linked branches and currency chests.

Q. Why could customers otherwise face an extended closure?

September 26 is the fourth Saturday and September 27 is normally a Sunday holiday. These closures come immediately before the proposed 3-day strike.

Q. Will Punjab National Bank branches be open on Sunday?

Punjab National Bank has announced that all its branches will remain open on Sunday, September 27, for customer convenience.

Q. Has the RBI approved Sunday banking?

Yes. The Finance Ministry's decision to keep the listed banking facilities open has received RBI approval.

Q. Have the unions cancelled the proposed strike?

No cancellation is stated. The UFBU has decided to proceed with the proposed strike after the conciliation meeting produced no concrete result.