Public sector banks across India will be hit by a strike on Tuesday, January 27, 2026. The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), representing nine bank unions, called for the strike to demand an immediate five-day work week. The strike follows a failed conciliation meeting with the Chief Labour Commissioner on January 23. Banks will be closed from Sunday (January 25) through Tuesday, creating a three-day service gap as January 26 is Republic Day. "Despite detailed discussions during the conciliation proceedings, there was no assurance on our demand. Hence, we have been compelled to proceed with the strike action," said C.H. Venkatachalam, General Secretary of All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) in a statement to PTI. Rupam Roy, General Secretary of All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC), noted, "The decision to declare all Saturdays as holidays was agreed between the Indian Banks' Association and the 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." L. Chandrasekhar, General Secretary of National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE), 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. Five-day banking is not a luxury; it is an economic and human necessity." Branch services like cash deposits, withdrawals, cheque clearance, and administrative work will be disrupted at major public sector banks such as State Bank of India (SBI), Punjab National Bank (PNB), and Bank of Baroda. Private banks including HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and Axis Bank will mostly continue normal operations as their staff are not part of the striking unions. Digital banking services like UPI and internet banking will remain active, but ATM cash availability could face local delays. SBI informed the stock exchange it has made arrangements but warned "work in the bank may be impacted by the strike." The strike centers on the demand to make all Saturdays official bank holidays. Currently, banks open on the first, third, and fifth Saturdays monthly. The unions say the demand was agreed with the Indian Banks’ Association but awaits government approval. This strike might cause inconvenience to customers but highlights worker demands for better work-life balance in public banking institutions.