Alert! Bank employees set to strike; find out how long services for the common man will remain suspended.

Bank Unions Strike: The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has announced a nationwide strike regarding the demand for a 5-day work week. This move is likely to impact banking services in the coming days.

Bank Union Strike News: The 'United Forum of Bank Unions' (UFBU)—an umbrella body representing major unions of bank employees and officers—has announced a nationwide strike. Protesting against the government's 'negative stance,' the UFBU (a joint platform of nine major bank employee organizations) has finalized the strike dates. Their demands include the implementation of a five-day work week and the withdrawal of the government's revised 'Performance-Linked Incentive' (PLI) scheme.

On which days will bank employees be on strike?

The unions have first announced a one-day nationwide bank strike on September 11, 2026. Since September 11 falls on a Friday, banking services could remain disrupted for three to four consecutive days when combined with the subsequent Saturday and Sunday holidays. Following this, a three-day continuous nationwide strike has been announced from September 28 to September 30, 2026. As this period coincides with the banks' half-yearly closing, the strike will significantly impact operations. Finally, a warning of an indefinite nationwide strike starting October 26, 2026, has been issued should their demands remain unmet.

What are the unions upset about?

Apart from the delay in implementing a 5-day banking week, there is resentment regarding the government's new Performance-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. Under this scheme, a provision has been made to grant substantial bonuses (incentives) to senior officers at Scale-4 and above, whereas clerks and junior staff receive only nominal incentives—a disparity viewed as discriminatory and unfair. According to the UFBU, while most employees would be eligible for an incentive equivalent to a maximum of 15 days of basic pay and dearness allowance, senior executives receive incentives amounting to up to 365 days of basic pay.

The matter is currently pending before the Chief Labour Commissioner for conciliation, and legal proceedings regarding it are also underway in the Delhi High Court. The UFBU has demanded that the PLI scheme be put on hold and that modifications be made to it following consultations with the unions.