Nationwide Bank Strike: Banking operations likely to be affected on Tuesday; check banks and services

Nationwide Bank Strike: Banking operations of public sector banks across India are likely to be affected on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, as the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) will hold a nationwide strike, demanding an immediate implementation of a five-day work week.

The UFBU, an umbrella body of nine unions representing officers and employees, has called an strike after a conciliation meeting with the chief labour commissioner on January 23 failed to yield a positive outcome.

Rupam Roy, General Secretary of the All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC), said the decision to declare all Saturdays as holidays was agreed between the Indian Banks' Association and UFBU during the wage revision settlement in March 2024.

"It is unfortunate that the government is not responding to our genuine demand. There would be no loss of man-hours as we have agreed to work an extra 40 minutes daily from Monday to Friday," he said.

L Chandrasekhar, General Secretary of the National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE), another constituent of UFBU, said, "This movement is not against customers, but for a sustainable, humane, and efficient banking system. A rested banker serves the nation better. A balanced workforce strengthens financial stability. 5-day banking is not a luxury; it is an economic and human necessity."

Which banks and services could be affected?

Services like cheque clearances, cash deposits, withdrawals and administrative work are likely to be affected at branches of public sector banks (PSBs) such as State Bank of India (SBI), Bank of Baroda and Punjab National Bank (PNB).

The strike comes after the banks remained closed on January 25 (Sunday) and January 26 (Republic Day).

Meanwhile, branch-level services at major private banks like HDFC Bank, Axis Bank and ICICI Bank are likely to remain largely unaffected, as their employees are not part of the unions that will be going on strike.

Net banking, mobile banking, UPI and digital banking services will function as normal, though ATM cash availability could face localised issues due to logistical delays.

In a regulatory filing to stock exchanges, SBI, on January 23, said, "We advise that while the bank has made necessary arrangements to ensure normal functioning in its branches and offices on the day of strike, it is likely that work in the bank may be impacted by the strike."

At present, banks remain open on the first, third, and fifth Saturdays of every month.