The PSU bank strike has been called by the United Forum of Bank Unions after talks with authorities failed to yield a breakthrough.
BY PC Bureau
January 26, 2026: With banking services already affected by a cluster of holidays, customers across the country may face further inconvenience as public sector banks are likely to witness a nationwide strike on Tuesday, January 27. Bank employee unions have announced the strike to press for the long-pending implementation of a five-day workweek, raising the possibility of widespread disruption to routine transactions.
The strike call has been issued by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella organisation representing nine major bank unions, after discussions with the government and banking authorities failed to break the deadlock. If the strike goes ahead, services at government-owned banks are expected to be severely impacted.
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The demand for a five-day workweek originates from a wage revision settlement signed in March 2024 between the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) and the UFBU. As part of the agreement, both sides had agreed in principle to declare all Saturdays as holidays. However, the decision has not been implemented so far, prompting unions to escalate the matter.
Following the strike notice, the Chief Labour Commissioner convened conciliation meetings earlier this week in an attempt to resolve the dispute. Union representatives, however, said the talks ended without any positive outcome. “Despite detailed discussions, there was no progress in the conciliation proceedings,” the UFBU said, confirming that the strike scheduled for January 27 would go ahead.
UFBU’s Call for Strike on 27th January 2026
*FAQ to Stop rumours*#BankersDemand5DayWeek #Implement5DayBanking #5DayBankingNow pic.twitter.com/GP0E5eoSL9
— ALL INDIA BANK OFFICERS ASSOCIATION (@AIBOAOFFICIAL) January 26, 2026
Major public sector lenders such as State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda and Bank of India are expected to be affected by the strike. Several banks have already issued advisories to customers, warning of possible disruptions to branch operations, cheque clearances, cash transactions and other services.
At present, bank employees get the second and fourth Saturdays off in addition to Sundays. The UFBU has argued that shifting to a five-day workweek would not hurt productivity, noting that employees have agreed to work an additional 40 minutes per day from Monday to Friday to compensate for the reduced working days.
With the strike coinciding with a series of holidays, customers have been advised to plan their banking transactions in advance to avoid inconvenience.
