The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has announced a nationwide strike in all banks on 27th January 2026. The strike has been announced as the Government of India has not yet introduced 5 Day Banking.
The demand for 5-day banking was part of a wage revision settlement reached in March 2024. It calls for banks to operate from Monday to Friday with Saturdays off, in line with other government offices and institutions like RBI, LIC, GIC, stock exchanges, and foreign exchange markets, all of which already follow a 5-day week.
This change will not cause any loss of work hours because employees have agreed to work an extra 40 minutes per day from Monday to Friday. Despite this, the Government has not responded positively to the demand or to the recommendations made by the IBA.
UFBU has expressed disappointment over the Government’s delay and said there is no valid reason why banks cannot shift to 5-day banking. They called on all bank employees and members to join the strike on 27th January and make it a success.
