Image is a symbolic representation created for illustrative purposes only and does not depict any specific bank, individual, or real-life incident.
January 27, 2026 : Banking services across India faced significant disruptions, as public sector bank employees launched a nationwide strike to demand the immediate implementation of a five-day workweek. The strike, organized by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) an umbrella body representing nine major unions—follows the failure of conciliation talks with the Chief Labour Commissioner on January 23. This industrial action has resulted in a rare three-day gap in physical banking access, coming immediately after the Sunday and Republic Day holidays.
The central point of contention is the formal notification of a five-day banking week, a reform that union leaders say was agreed upon with the Indian Banks’ Association during the March 2024 wage revision but remains pending government approval. To compensate for the loss of working hours on Saturdays, employees have already committed to working an additional 40 minutes daily from Monday to Friday. Union representatives have pointed out that major financial institutions, including the Reserve Bank of India, LIC, and stock exchanges, already follow this five-day schedule, leaving bank employees feeling discriminated against.
Branch-level operations such as cash deposits, withdrawals, and cheque clearances have been the most severely impacted at government-owned lenders like the State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, and Bank of Baroda. Several of these institutions issued regulatory filings ahead of the strike, warning customers and investors of likely disruptions to normal functioning. While physical services have stalled, digital banking channels including UPI, mobile apps, and internet banking remain fully operational, although localized cash shortages at ATMs may occur due to logistical delays and reduced branch staffing. In contrast, large private sector banks such as HDFC, ICICI, and Axis Bank are operating as usual, as their employees are generally not affiliated with the striking unions.
