Bank employees across India have announced a nationwide strike on January 27, 2026.
The strike has been called by bank unions under the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) to press for a long-pending demand — a five-day banking week.
The decision comes after repeated appeals to the government failed to get a response, even though the issue was already discussed during the wage settlement signed in March 2024.
Why are bank employees going on strike?
According to the All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC), the five-day work week was part of the agreement reached with the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) last year.
However, the government has not yet implemented it.
At present, banks remain closed only on the second and fourth Saturdays.
The unions want all Saturdays to be declared holidays, bringing banks in line with other financial and government institutions.
What exactly are the unions demanding?
The core demand is a five-day work week from Monday to Friday, with Saturdays and Sundays off.
To make this work, bank employees have already agreed to work 40 extra minutes each day on weekdays so that total working hours remain unchanged.
The unions point out that institutions like the RBI, LIC, GIC, stock exchanges, and central and state government offices already follow this system.
Protests and campaigns so far
Bank unions have been holding demonstrations across the country for several months.
Recently, they also ran a social media campaign on X to highlight their demands.
According to AIBOC, the campaign generated over 18.8 lakh impressions and more than 3 lakh posts, showing strong public support.
Despite this, there has been no official action, which led unions to call for a nationwide strike.
How will the strike affect customers?
If the strike goes ahead, banking services on Tuesday, January 27 may be disrupted.
Branch operations, cheque clearing, cash deposits and withdrawals, and customer services could be impacted in both public and private sector banks.
However, ATM and online banking services are expected to function, though minor delays cannot be ruled out.
Customers are advised to plan their banking work in advance to avoid inconvenience.
