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

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.

However, the ongoing discussions have not resulted in any official decision to introduce holidays on all Saturdays. Banks currently observe holidays on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month, while the first, third and fifth Saturdays are generally working days.

Fake document carries September 30 date

The document circulating on social media is dated September 30, 2026. It claims that the government has declared "every Saturday" a public holiday for all public sector banks with immediate effect.

The PIB Fact Check clarification makes it clear that the document is not a genuine government notification. The clarification is particularly relevant amid ongoing discussions between bank unions and the IBA over changes to the existing banking workweek.

The fact-checking unit has also urged people to flag suspicious information related to the Central Government so that such claims can be verified.

Other issues raised by bank unions

Apart from the five-day banking week, bank unions have raised concerns over the new Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. The unions have alleged that the scheme was introduced unilaterally by the Department of Financial Services.

The proposed five-day banking week and other pending issues are now expected to be discussed through the high-level committee agreed upon by the UFBU and IBA. Until any formal government notification is issued, the existing system of second and fourth Saturday holidays continues to apply.