Bank unions go on nationwide strike on January 27 seeking 5-day work week

Bank employee unions across India are staging a nationwide strike on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, to press for a five-day work week in the banking sector. The action has been called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of major bank unions, and is expected to hit operations at many public sector banks, with customers advised to anticipate disruptions at branches and in-person services.

At present, bank employees typically get the second and fourth Saturdays off in a month, apart from Sundays. The unions’ key demand is the implementation of all Saturdays as holidays—effectively moving to a Monday-to-Friday schedule—similar to the pattern followed by several financial and government institutions.

What unions are demanding

• A formal notification and rollout of a five-day banking week with all Saturdays off.
• Implementation of what unions say was agreed during wage revision talks with the Indian Banks’ Association in March 2024.
• Policy parity with institutions such as the RBI and other major bodies that already follow a five-day schedule.

UFBU has argued that shifting to a five-day week would not reduce total work output. Unions have also stated they are willing to extend daily working time on weekdays to ensure overall man-hours remain unchanged, framing the demand as a work-life balance reform rather than a reduction in service delivery.

What customers should expect

The strike is expected to primarily impact public sector banks, while services in some large private banks may be less affected. Even so, customers can face delays in branch transactions, cheque clearing timelines and other counter-based services. Digital banking channels may continue to function, but reliance on branch visits could be inconvenient during the protest window.

The dispute also highlights a broader shift underway in Indian banking, where unions argue that workload has intensified despite growing digitisation and staffing constraints. The January 27 strike is being positioned as a pressure tactic to compel government and regulators to approve and notify the five-day week that unions say has been pending despite earlier commitments.