Bank employees’ unions have once again brought the long-pending demand for a five-day work week to the centre of national attention, warning of a nationwide strike in January that could disrupt banking services across the country.
Under the banner of the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), employee organisations have announced plans for an all-India strike on January 27, 2026, if their demand for a five-day banking week is not accepted, reported PTI.
If the strike goes ahead, customers may face a prolonged disruption, as January 25 and 26 are already bank holidays, potentially resulting in three consecutive days of curtailed operations, particularly in public sector banks.
Why bank unions are pushing for a five-day week
At present, banks operate with holidays on Sundays and the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. However, declaring the remaining two Saturdays as holidays is not a new idea.
During the wage revision settlement signed in March 2024, the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) and UFBU had reached an agreement in principle to move towards a five-day work week.
According to the unions, despite this understanding, the proposal has not yet been implemented, prompting frustration among employees.
“It is unfortunate that the government is not responding to our genuine demand,” UFBU said in a statement. The forum reiterated that the move would not reduce productivity or working hours. “There would be no loss of man-hours because we have agreed to an extra 40 minutes working per day from Monday to Friday,” it added.
How a strike could affect customers
If the January 27 strike materialises, its timing could amplify the impact on customers. With January 25 and 26 already marked as holidays, public sector bank branches may remain largely non-functional for three days in a row.
This could affect routine transactions such as cheque clearances, branch-based cash services, loan processing and customer grievance redressal. While digital banking channels would continue to operate, experts caution that customers who rely on physical branches, particularly senior citizens and small businesses, may face inconvenience.
Unions cite precedent across institutions
UFBU has argued that the banking sector is being unfairly left behind, even as several key financial and government institutions have already moved to a five-day work schedule.
In its statement, the forum pointed out that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), General Insurance Corporation (GIC) and other major financial institutions already follow a five-day week. It also noted that the foreign exchange market, money market and stock exchanges do not function on Saturdays.
Additionally, both central and state government offices are closed on Saturdays, the union said, questioning why banks should continue with a six-day structure when their ecosystem largely operates on five working days.
Therefore, there is no reason why banks cannot introduce a five-day week, the statement said.
Who is leading the strike call
The UFBU is an umbrella organisation comprising nine major bank unions in India. It represents employees and officers across public sector banks and a few old-generation private sector banks.
The forum has now formally decided to give a call for an all-India strike in all banks on January 27, 2026, unless the demand is addressed.
Social media campaign gathers momentum
Alongside formal negotiations, bank unions have also taken their campaign online. According to UFBU, its social media push under the hashtag #5DayBankingNow has gained significant traction.
The campaign has clocked around 18,80,027 impressions and generated approximately 2,85,200 posts on X, reflecting growing visibility and support for the demand, at least within sections of the banking community.
For now, the ball is in the government’s court. Any move to officially implement a five-day work week would require coordination between the government, the Indian Banks’ Association and bank managements, given the public ownership of most large lenders.
If talks fail to break the deadlock, customers may need to brace for disruptions early next year. For bank employees, however, the proposed strike is being positioned as a fight for parity with other financial institutions and a long-promised reform that they believe is overdue.
