Indian Bank Unions Call Three-Day Nationwide Strike

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has called for a three-day nationwide strike from September 28 to 30, 2026, demanding the implementation of a five-day banking week, pension reforms, and the withdrawal of the Performance Linked Incentive scheme. Because the strike follows a weekend, physical branch services may be disrupted for five consecutive days, coinciding with the banking sector's critical half-yearly closing on September 30.

In response, the Ministry of Finance of India convened meetings with chief executives of public sector and regional rural banks to establish contingency plans. The ministry urged employees to cancel the strike, citing recent welfare increases and the fact that the incentive scheme has already been placed in abeyance. However, a conciliation meeting in New Delhi failed to resolve the dispute, as the government stated the five-day workweek proposal remains under examination.

Major public sector banks, including State Bank of India, Indian Bank, Punjab National Bank, and Union Bank of India, issued advisories urging customers to complete essential branch-dependent transactions before September 26. While physical documentation and staff-assisted services will be limited, banks confirmed that digital channels, including UPI, ATMs, and internet banking, will remain operational. The UFBU has threatened an indefinite nationwide strike starting October 26 if its demands are not met.