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Banking customers across India should brace for a three-day disruption as the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) proceeds with a nationwide strike from Monday, September 28, through Wednesday, September 30, 2026. The action follows an earlier one-day strike on September 11 and is part of an escalating standoff between bank unions and the government over long-pending workplace demands.
UFBU, an umbrella body of seven unions claiming to represent more than 90% of India's banking workforce, called the strike after conciliation talks with the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) and the Department of Financial Services failed to yield a firm commitment on its central demand: a five-day banking week. Under the proposal, banks would extend working hours by 40 minutes on weekdays in exchange for closing on all Saturdays — an arrangement unions say the IBA already agreed to in the 12th Bipartite Settlement back in March 2024, but which the government has left pending for over two years. Unions are also pushing for updated pension benefits, a uniform dearness allowance formula for pensioners, and changes to the government's revised Performance-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, which they argue disproportionately favors senior officers.
The timing compounds the potential fallout for customers. Since September 26 and 27 fall on the fourth Saturday and Sunday — both traditional bank holidays — the strike effectively extends branch closures across a stretch of several consecutive days. Adding to the pressure, September 30 is also the half-yearly closing date for banks, a critical accounting day typically marked by heavy transaction volumes.
To ease the impact, public sector banks (PSBs) and Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) have been directed to stay open on Sunday, September 28, giving customers an extra window to complete urgent transactions before the strike begins. Government employees are also set to receive their salaries in advance on September 25 to avoid disruption during the strike period.
During the three-day action, physical branch services — including cash deposits, withdrawals, cheque clearances, and administrative work — are expected to face significant disruption at public sector and some old-generation private banks. However, digital banking channels including UPI, internet banking, mobile banking apps, and ATMs are expected to continue functioning normally, giving customers a workaround for most routine transactions.
UFBU has warned that if its demands remain unresolved, it will escalate to an indefinite nationwide strike starting October 26, 2026 — a move that would mark a significant intensification of the standoff and could cause far more prolonged disruption to India's banking system.
Customers are advised to complete essential branch-dependent transactions, such as large cash withdrawals or cheque deposits, before September 28 wherever possible.
