Central government employees are set to receive their September salaries and wages earlier than usual ahead of a proposed nationwide bank strike later this month.
According to an instruction issued by the Controller General of Accounts under the Union finance ministry, salaries and wages for September may be drawn and disbursed on September 25. The arrangement also covers central government offices, including Defence, Posts and Telecommunications.
The advance payment comes ahead of a three-day nationwide bank strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) from September 28 to 30. The unions, which represent a large section of the banking workforce, are seeking several changes, including a five-day working week in the banking sector.
September 30 also coincides with the half-yearly closing of the banking sector. The government has therefore asked departments to take steps to avoid delays in salary, pension and other financial transactions during the strike period.
The September 2026 pensions of Central government pensioners may also be disbursed on September 25 through banks and Pay and Accounts Offices. The payments will be treated as advance payments, with any necessary adjustment to be made from the October 2026 salary, wage or pension payment after the full month's amount is determined.
The finance ministry has also advised ministries and departments to process payments and other banking transactions scheduled for the end of September in advance wherever possible. The objective is to minimise disruption during the proposed strike and the quarter-end period.
The concerned ministries and departments have been instructed to circulate the directions to their offices. The Reserve Bank of India has also been requested to communicate the arrangements to the relevant bank branches responsible for making payments.
In another step aimed at helping customers complete essential banking work before the strike, banks, including Regional Rural Banks, have been directed to remain open on Sunday.
Several public sector banks have separately advised customers to complete important transactions before September 28. Customers have also been encouraged to use digital services such as mobile banking, internet banking, ATMs, Business Correspondent points and UPI during the strike period, subject to service availability.
The proposed strike is expected to affect normal banking operations between September 28 and 30, although the extent of disruption may vary between services and institutions.
For central government employees and pensioners, the advance disbursement of September payments is intended to ensure that regular salary and pension payments are not delayed because of the proposed strike and the end-of-month banking schedule.
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