Pune: Ministry of Finance has directed public sector banks and regional rural banks to stay open on Sunday, giving relief to retailers.Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has also granted approval for all bank branches, offices, ATM-linked branches and currency chests to remain fully operational. Several account holders have received text messages that the banks will remain open on Sunday.The private banks, however, are not participating in the protest and will work as usual.The move comes against the backdrop of a strike announced by public sector bank employees from Monday to Wednesday, demanding a five-day work week. The strike, combined with a two-day holiday, has resulted in the closure of banking operations for five consecutive days.“Traders have been feeling unsafe carrying cash at the end of the day, as there have been instances of theft and robbery. Hence, they deposit the money in the bank,” Rajendra Bathiya, president, Poona Merchant Chambers, said.Other than retailers, a lot of people are unlikely to use the banking services on Sunday. The govt-owned bank employees will not be working on Sunday as part of their strike, said Rajeev Tamhane, chairperson of Bank of Maharashtra Officers’ Association. He also said that asking bank employees to work on a Sunday required changes to the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881.“That has not been done by the govt. It was also unfair to ask bank employees to work on a Sunday, as it was a legal holiday for bank staff,” he added.Tamhane said the banking operations were expected to be minimal on Sunday as public bank employee unions have declared a strike. “It was not the intention of bank employees to inconvenience the customers, but to meet their demands. We were requesting cooperation from the customers,” he added.
