Bank Services Likely to Be Hit on January 27 as Employees Plan Nationwide Strike

Banking services across the country are likely to be disrupted on January 27 as around eight lakh bank employees plan to go on a one-day nationwide strike to press for a five-day work week.

The strike has been called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), a joint platform representing nine major bank employees’ and officers’ organisations. The protest will involve staff from public sector banks, private banks, foreign banks, regional rural banks and cooperative banks.

In a statement, the All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC), a key member of the forum, said the strike is being organised due to the government’s delay in approving the proposal to make all Saturdays bank holidays.

According to the unions, the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) had recommended a five-day work week for banks nearly two years ago, but the proposal is still awaiting government clearance.

The demand was part of a memorandum of understanding signed between UFBU and the IBA in December 2023 and was later reiterated in a settlement reached in March 2024. Under the proposed system, bank employees would work longer hours from Monday to Friday, while all Saturdays would be declared holidays.

The unions pointed out that assurances on reducing the work week date back to 2015, when the government and the IBA agreed to declare the second and fourth Saturdays as holidays, with a promise to consider extending the benefit to all Saturdays in the future. However, they said the issue has remained unresolved despite repeated commitments.

UFBU also said it had postponed a planned two-day strike in March last year after receiving assurances from the government that the matter was under active consideration. “Even after this assurance, no approval has been granted, leaving us with no option but to intensify our agitation,” the forum said.

The unions further noted that several major financial institutions, including the Reserve Bank of India, Life Insurance Corporation of India and General Insurance Corporation of India, already follow a five-day work week. Central and state government offices, stock exchanges and financial markets also operate from Monday to Friday.

With the strike set for January 27, customers have been advised to plan their banking transactions in advance as services such as branch operations, cash withdrawals, cheque clearances and customer support may be affected.

Also Read: Bank Holiday List January 2026: Banks to Remain Closed for Up to 10 Days – Check Dates and City-Wise Details