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Public sector banks and regional rural banks will remain open and function normally on Sunday, September 27, as the government moves to ensure uninterrupted banking services ahead of the proposed three-day nationwide strike from September 28 to 30, according to a release by the Ministry of Finance.
The ministry said the move has been taken in view of the strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), which coincides with the preceding weekend holidays on September 26 and 27. The Reserve Bank of India has approved the opening of all bank branches, offices, ATM-linked branches and currency chests on September 27, allowing them to remain fully operational, the ministry added. The release said the decision was aimed at ensuring that the banking needs of customers are not adversely affected for an extended period due to the strike and the preceding holidays. The welfare and convenience of bank customers remains the Government's foremost priority, the department said, reiterating its appeal to bank unions to defer the proposed strike. The government and bank managements on Tuesday, appealed to unions to resolve their remaining demands through dialogue, while taking measures to ensure that essential banking services continue uninterrupted. The proposed September 28-30 strike follows a one-day strike held on September 11. The unions have primarily sought implementation of a five-day banking week and withdrawal of the Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. The government has said it has already decided to keep the PLI scheme in abeyance following discussions with unions, while the remaining demand for a five-day workweek continues to be examined. The government had earlier said the proposed strike would coincide with the half-yearly closing of banks on September 30, which could affect reconciliation, provisioning, treasury and market operations. The latest decision to keep banks open on Sunday is therefore aimed at providing customers an additional working day before the proposed strike begins. The government said it would continue to take steps to ensure essential banking services remain available while the outstanding issues with bank employees are addressed through dialogue. (ANI)
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