Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Jan 4: The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), representing employees and officers across public sector and some old-generation private banks, has threatened a nationwide strike on January 27, 2026, demanding the implementation of a five-day workweek.
If the strike goes ahead, it will affect banking operations for three consecutive days, as January 25 and 26 are already holidays. Currently, bank employees get Sundays off and the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. UFBU has long sought that the remaining two Saturdays also be made holidays, an issue agreed upon in principle during the March 2024 wage revision settlement with the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA).
UFBU stated that implementing a five-day week would not result in a loss of working hours, as employees are ready to extend daily work by 40 minutes from Monday to Friday. The union also pointed out that other institutions, including RBI, LIC, GIC, stock exchanges, and central and state government offices, already follow a five-day week, arguing there is no reason banks cannot do the same.
The union has warned that, if unaddressed, the strike will disrupt public sector banking services nationwide.