Nationwide Bank Strike Brings India to a Halt – 8 Lakh Employees Demand 5-Day Work Week

Banking operations across India were severely disrupted on January 27, 2026, as around 8 lakh bank employees and officers participated in a nationwide strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU). The strike saw participation from employees of public sector banks, private banks, foreign banks, regional rural banks, and cooperative banks, bringing normal banking services to a near standstill.

The UFBU, an umbrella body representing nine unions of bank employees and officers, termed the strike a “total success.” The unions said the strike aimed to press the long-pending demand for a five-day work week, which includes declaring all Saturdays as bank holidays. Currently, only the second and fourth Saturdays are official holidays, a policy the unions argue is outdated and unfair.

The demand for a five-day work week has been pending since 2015, when partial Saturday holidays were introduced. Despite repeated discussions and agreements between the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) and UFBU—including a memorandum of understanding in December 2023 and a subsequent joint note in March 2024—the government has yet to grant approval for implementation. Under the proposed plan, daily working hours from Monday to Friday would increase to compensate for the Saturdays being declared holidays.

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Union representatives noted that similar work-week structures are already in place at institutions such as the Reserve Bank of India, Life Insurance Corporation, General Insurance Corporation, and most central and state government offices. Stock exchanges and money markets also follow a Monday-to-Friday schedule, highlighting the long-standing nature of the demand in the financial sector.

Conciliation meetings chaired by the Chief Labour Commissioner were held on January 22 and 23, 2026, with officials from the finance ministry participating. However, UFBU stated that the talks did not produce any positive outcome, leaving them with no option but to proceed with the strike. The unions expressed their frustration at what they described as discrimination against bank employees compared to other sectors.

The UFBU urged the public to bear with the inconvenience caused and highlighted that alternative banking channels, including digital banking, would reduce disruption. The forum reiterated its demand for immediate government approval to implement the five-day work week, warning that the issue would continue to drive industrial action until resolved.

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