A nationwide strike called by bank employees' unions on Tuesday, Jan. 27, could effectively keep many bank branches shut for four consecutive days, as it falls immediately after a weekend and a national holiday. Banks are typically closed on the fourth Saturday of the month, which is on Jan. 24, followed by Sunday, Jan. 25, and Republic Day on Monday, Jan. 26, a gazetted holiday.
With the proposed strike on Jan. 27, customers may face limited in-branch access from Jan. 24–27, depending on local participation and contingency arrangements. While digital channels are expected to continue, including mobile banking, internet banking and ATMs, services that rely on branch operations, such as cash deposits, cheque clearing, demand drafts and in-person grievance handling, could be disrupted.
The impact is expected to be sharper at government and public sector banks, where union membership is high, compared with some private lenders that may maintain larger on-ground staffing.
In the run-up to the strike, Union messaging has also moved online. In a circular shared by the All India Bank Association, the federation said a nationwide social media push under #Implement5DayBanking saw 'over 4.11 lakh' posts and a 'potential reach' of '2.09 crore users', with sentiment described as 'overwhelmingly positive'. The note urged employees to 'March on to Strike on Jan. 27, 2026' and called for 'total participation'.
Why are bank employees' unions striking?
Unions under the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) say the central demand is implementation of a five-day work week, including making all Saturdays holidays. They argue that the change was agreed with the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) during the wage revision settlement in March 2024, but has not yet been notified for implementation.
ALSO READ: IndiGo Faces Rs 2,000 Crore Hit From December Flight Disruptions
Watch LIVE TV, Get Stock Market Updates, Top Business, IPO and Latest News on NDTV Profit.