Banking activities in India were significantly impacted on January 27, 2026, due to a statewide strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU). According to the unions, around 8 lakh bank employees and officers participated in the strike, resulting in a near-complete interruption of normal banking services across the country.
The UFBU, which represents nine bank employee and officer unions, stated that the walkout was observed in public sector banks, private banks, foreign banks, regional rural banks, and cooperative banks. The forum described the action as a “complete success,” claiming that ordinary banking operations were disrupted across the country.
The walkout was launched to advocate for the long-awaited demand for a five-day workweek in the banking sector, including the proclamation of all Saturdays as bank holidays. Banks are currently closed on just the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. According to the unions, despite repeated guarantees and written agreements, the government has yet to approve five-day banking.
The UFBU has stated that the issue has been unresolved since 2015, when an agreement was made to review the remaining Saturdays after declaring the second and fourth Saturdays as holidays. Despite further discussions in 2022 and a formal recommendation from the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) in 2023, no implementation has taken place.
The unions stated that the IBA had advocated a five-day work week based on a memorandum of understanding reached in December 2023, with an agreement to increase weekday working hours to compensate for Saturdays.
The Chief Labour Commissioner’s conciliation talks on January 22 and 23 in New Delhi did not result in a resolution. While apologizing for the inconvenience, the unions stated that other digital banking channels will help reduce disruption and maintain their call for the speedy implementation of five-day banking.
