Banking services across India are expected to be disrupted on January 27, 2026, as nearly 8 lakh (800,000) bank employees and officers plan to observe a one-day nationwide strike.
This strike will affect banks across the country, including public sector banks, private banks, foreign banks, rural banks, and cooperative banks.
The strike has been called to press for a long-pending demand of a five-day working week for bank employees. Due to this protest, customers may face inconvenience while accessing banking services.
Why Are Bank Employees Going on Strike?
The main reason behind the nationwide strike is the demand for a five-day work week. Bank employee unions have been raising this issue for a long time.
According to the unions, the proposal for a five-day work week was put forward by the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA)
and has been pending with the central government for the past two years. However, no final approval or decision has been taken so far.
Union leaders have stated that this demand was part of the agreement reached between the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU)
and the Indian Banks’ Association on December 7, 2023. The same demand was later mentioned again in the settlement and joint note dated March 8, 2024.
What Does the Five-Day Work Week Proposal Include?
Under the proposed system, banks would operate from Monday to Friday, with all Saturdays declared as holidays.
The proposal suggests a 40-minute increase in daily working hours on weekdays to compensate for the additional weekly holiday.
However, since the government has not yet approved this proposal, bank unions have decided to proceed with the strike on January 27 to push for action.
Organisations Supporting the Nationwide Strike
The strike is being organised under the leadership of the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU). UFBU is a joint platform representing nine major organisations of bank employees and officers. These include:
All India Bank Officers’ Confederation
All India Bank Employees Association
National Confederation of Bank Employees
All India Bank Officers’ Association
Bank Employees Federation of India
Indian National Bank Employees Federation
Indian National Bank Officers’ Congress
National Organisation of Bank Workers
National Organisation of Bank Officers
All these organisations have extended their support to the strike.
Banks May Remain Closed for Four Consecutive Days
Customers may face significant inconvenience during the last week of January, as banks are expected to remain closed for four consecutive days.
January 24: Fourth Saturday
January 25: Sunday (weekly holiday)
January 26: Republic Day (national holiday)
January 27: Nationwide bank strike
Due to this combination of holidays and the strike, banking operations may be severely affected.
Advice for Bank Customers
People are advised to plan their banking work in advance, especially cash withdrawals, cheque clearances, and branch-related services.
While digital services may continue to function, branch-based banking services could remain unavailable during this period.
