All Saturdays declared bank holidays? PIB Fact Check debunks fake notification

The clarification comes shortly after bank unions deferred a three-day nationwide strike that was scheduled to take place from September 28 to 30

A social media claim that the Centre has declared every Saturday a holiday for public sector banks, including the State Bank of India (SBI), has been debunked by the government's fact-checking unit, PIB Fact Check.

"A Gazette circulating on social media, purportedly issued by the Ministry of Finance (Department of Financial Services), claims that the Central Government has declared every Saturday a public holiday for all Public Sector Banks, including SBI," PIB Fact Check said in a post.

It added: "The document being circulated is fake. No such notification has been issued by @FinMinIndia declaring every Saturday as public holiday for public sector banks."

The clarification comes shortly after bank unions deferred a three-day nationwide strike that was scheduled to take place from September 28 to 30. The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) had included the introduction of a five-day banking week among its key demands. If implemented, the proposal would make Saturdays and Sundays weekly holidays for bank employees.

PIB Fact Check said the notification being circulated online, which purportedly announces every Saturday as a public holiday for public sector banks, is fake. No such government order has been issued.

Bank unions had sought five-day working week

The issue of a five-day banking week was among the matters discussed between the UFBU and the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) before the proposed strike was deferred.

Following discussions, the two sides agreed to constitute a high-level committee to examine unresolved issues, including the demand for a five-day banking schedule.

Under the proposal put forward by the bank unions, employees would work from Monday to Friday, while Saturday and Sunday would be treated as weekly holidays.