New Delhi: Banking services across India are expected to face major disruptions tomorrow, Friday, September 11, 2026, as the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) goes ahead with its proposed nationwide strike.
The strike could impact branch-level operations for four consecutive days, as Friday’s walkout is followed by the second Saturday (September 12) and Sunday (September 13) regional bank holidays.
Main Demands
- Implementation of 5-Day Work Week: The primary demand of the unions is the long-pending approval of a 5-day banking week. In March 2024, under the 12th Bipartite Settlement, the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) agreed to declare all Saturdays as holidays in exchange for extending weekday working hours by 40 minutes. However, the proposal remains pending with the Ministry of Finance.
- Scrapping Unilateral PLI Scheme: Unions strongly oppose the revised Performance-Linked Incentive (PLI) framework introduced by the Department of Financial Services (DFS), calling it discriminatory as it favors senior executives over general staff.
- Conciliation Talks Fail: Conciliation meetings held this week with the Chief Labour Commissioner and Ministry officials failed to reach a consensus, as union representatives refused to defer the strike without a concrete timeline on the 5-day week issue.
Impact on Banking Services
- Services Affected: Counter transactions, cheque clearances, cash deposits/withdrawals, loan processing, and administrative paperwork at public sector bank branches will be severely impacted.
- Services Operational: Online banking, UPI, mobile applications, and NetBanking services will continue to function normally. ATM operations are expected to work, though physical cash replenishment may face slight delays over the weekend.
Upcoming Strike Timeline
The UFBU—an umbrella body representing major employee and officer unions including AIBEA, AIBOC, and NCBE—has warned of intensified protests if demands remain unfulfilled:
- September 11: 1-Day Nationwide Strike.
- September 28 to 30: 3-Day Nationwide Strike (coinciding with half-yearly closing).
- From October 26: Indefinite Nationwide Strike.
