Bank employees across India have announced a nationwide strike on January 27, 2026.
The call has been given by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), which represents various bank employees’ unions.
The main demand behind the strike is the introduction of a five-day banking week.
The unions say this demand has been pending for a long time, despite earlier assurances from the authorities.
Contents
Why are bank employees going on strike?
According to the All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC), the demand for a five-day work week was already agreed upon during the wage revision settlement signed in March 2024 between the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) and bank unions.
However, the unions claim that the government has not taken any concrete steps to implement this decision.
Due to the lack of response, UFBU has now decided to go ahead with a nationwide strike on January 27, 2026.
What exactly is the demand?
At present, banks remain closed only on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month.
Bank unions are demanding that all Saturdays should be declared holidays, making banking a five-day-a-week service from Monday to Friday.
The unions say they have already agreed to work 40 extra minutes each day on weekdays so that there is no reduction in total working hours.
They also point out that institutions like RBI, LIC, GIC, stock exchanges, money markets, and government offices already follow a five-day work schedule.
Protests and campaigns so far
To press their demand, bank unions have been holding demonstrations across the country.
They also ran a social media campaign on X, which, according to AIBOC, received over 18.8 lakh impressions and more than 3 lakh posts.
Despite these efforts, the unions say there has been no progress from the government side, leading them to intensify their protest through a strike.
How will this strike affect bank customers?
If the strike takes place as planned, banking services in both public and private sector banks may be disrupted on Tuesday, January 27.
Services such as branch operations, cheque clearing, cash withdrawals, and customer support could be affected.
However, ATM services and online banking are expected to continue, though some minor disruptions cannot be ruled out.
Customers are advised to plan their banking needs in advance to avoid inconvenience.