Bhubaneswar, Jan 24: Bank employee unions have announced a nationwide strike on January 27, 2026, to demand the implementation of a five-day workweek. If the strike proceeds, it is expected to disrupt public sector banking operations for three consecutive days, as January 25 and 26 are public holidays.

Several public sector banks, including the State Bank of India, have already issued advisories to customers, warning them of potential service disruptions due to the planned strike.

The decision to strike follows failed conciliation talks held by the Chief Labour Commissioner on Wednesday and Thursday. The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), which represents nine unions of bank officers and employees, confirmed that the strike will go ahead as scheduled.

“The conciliation held on 23.01.2026 has once again failed to deliver a concrete outcome. Hence, the All India Bank Strike on 27th January 2026 is on,” the UFBU said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).

Currently, bank employees get the second and fourth Saturdays off each month, along with Sundays. The demand to declare all Saturdays as holidays was agreed in principle between the Indian Banks’ Association and UFBU during the March 2024 wage revision settlement.

The UFBU expressed disappointment over the government's lack of action, stating that the strike would not result in a loss of man-hours, as employees have agreed to work an additional 40 minutes each day from Monday to Friday. The unions also pointed out that other institutions, such as the RBI, LIC, GIC, stock exchanges, and government offices, already operate with a five-day work week.

The strike is expected to primarily affect public-sector banks, while private-sector banks such as HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and Kotak Mahindra Bank are unlikely to be affected.