Bank Unions Announce September 11 Strike; Three-Day Nationwide Strike From September 28, Demand Five-Day Week

New Delhi: Bank employees across India are set to observe a nationwide strike on September 11, 2026, after the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) announced a series of industrial actions over long-pending demands, including the implementation of a five-day working week.

The September 11 strike will be followed by a three-day nationwide strike on September 28, 29 and 30, while the unions have also warned of an indefinite strike from October 26 if their demands remain unresolved.

September 11 Bank Strike

The UFBU, an umbrella platform representing major bank employee unions, has called the September 11 action as part of its campaign for reforms in the banking sector.

The forum includes organisations such as the All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA), All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC), National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE), All India Bank Officers' Association (AIBOA), Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI), Indian National Bank Employees' Federation (INBEF) and Indian National Bank Officers' Congress (INBOC).

Banking services could be affected if employees participate in the strike, although banks may take measures to maintain essential operations.

Three-Day Strike From September 28

The unions have announced a second nationwide strike for September 28 to 30, escalating the agitation if there is no progress on their demands.

The UFBU has also warned that its members could begin an indefinite nationwide strike from October 26, 2026, if the issues remain unresolved.

This escalation could create further disruption for customers, businesses and financial institutions, particularly if the prolonged action coincides with other bank holidays or weekends.

Five-Day Banking Week Is a Key Demand

One of the central demands of the bank unions is the introduction of a five-day banking week, with Saturdays becoming holidays for bank employees.

The UFBU has said that the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) had already agreed to the five-day work week proposal under the 12th Bipartite Settlement/9th Joint Note signed on March 8, 2024. Under the proposal, daily working hours from Monday to Friday would increase by 40 minutes to compensate for the additional weekly holiday.

According to the unions, however, the proposal has remained pending with the government for more than two years despite the agreement and subsequent recommendation.

Dispute Over Performance Linked Incentive Scheme

The Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme is another major point of contention between bank unions and the authorities.

The UFBU has sought a review of the revised PLI framework, arguing that the changes do not reflect an earlier understanding between employee representatives and the IBA.

According to the unions, PLI was intended to be linked to the overall performance of individual banks, rather than being structured in a manner that creates differences among employees. They have also raised concerns about the proposed number of incentive days for employees and officers up to Scale VII.

Government Yet to Resolve Key Demands

The unions have been pressing the government and banking authorities to address the five-day week proposal and other outstanding issues.

The UFBU has maintained that the five-day banking arrangement would improve work-life balance for employees while allowing banks to reorganise their operations around longer working hours on weekdays.

However, the issue requires a final decision from the government before it can be implemented across the banking sector.

What Customers Should Know

Customers may face delays in branch-based banking services, cheque processing, cash-related services and other physical banking operations during the strike dates, depending on the extent of employee participation.

Digital banking services such as internet banking, mobile banking, UPI and ATMs may continue to operate, although customers should check individual bank advisories for any service-specific disruptions.

The State Bank of India has already informed stock exchanges that its operations may be affected by the planned UFBU strikes on September 11, September 28-30 and from October 26, while saying arrangements would be made to maintain normal functioning as far as possible.

Banking Sector Strike Could Escalate

The announcement marks a significant escalation in the long-running dispute over working hours and employee-related issues in the banking sector.

With a one-day strike planned for September 11, a three-day strike later in the month and the possibility of an indefinite strike from October 26, the pressure is now on the government, IBA and bank unions to reach an agreement.

For customers, the immediate priority will be to plan important branch visits and transactions around the announced strike dates while monitoring updates from their respective banks.