Bank Employee Unions Announce Strike: What You Need to Know About Their Demands

Bank employee unions are gearing up for a three-day strike starting September 28, demanding a five-day work week among other issues. The Finance Ministry has denied any commitment to this proposal, while urging employees to resolve their concerns through dialogue. The strike coincides with the banking sector's half-yearly closing, prompting the government to take measures to ensure salary disbursements are made in advance. Learn more about the unions' demands and the government's stance on this pressing issue.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 25, 2026, 17:54 IST

Strike Announcement by Bank Employee Unions

New Delhi: Government officials have dismissed assertions made by bank employee unions regarding a commitment to establish a five-day work week, clarifying that the Finance Ministry has made no such promise.

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has declared a three-day strike starting September 28 to advocate for their demands, which prominently include the implementation of a five-day work week.

The unions assert that the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) had previously agreed to this proposal as part of the 12th Bipartite Settlement/9th Joint Note signed on March 8, 2024, which included an increase in working hours by 40 minutes from Monday to Friday. This proposal has been forwarded to the government and is currently under review, according to sources.

Additionally, sources indicated that several outstanding union issues have been addressed, such as the revision of family pensions for bank retirees and the provision of a pension option for those who have resigned.

However, one of the unions' key demands regarding the cancellation of the Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme remains unresolved.

The UFBU, which claims to represent 90% of the banking workforce, is set to initiate a three-day strike on September 28, pushing for a five-day banking week among other requests.

Should the strike proceed, it will coincide with the banking sector's half-yearly closing.

To accommodate customer banking needs prior to the strike, the government has instructed public sector banks to remain operational on Sunday, September 27.

Furthermore, the Finance Ministry has advised all departments and ministries to ensure that September salaries are disbursed in advance due to the impending strike.

In light of the proposed nationwide bank strike from September 28-30, 2026, the government has mandated that the salaries, wages, and pensions of all Central Government Employees for September 2026 be processed and distributed by September 25, 2026, as per an office memorandum from the Controller General of Accounts under the Finance Ministry.

The wages for industrial employees of the central government for September 2026 are also to be disbursed early on September 25, 2026.

Additionally, pensions for September 2026 for all central government pensioners are to be distributed by banks/PAOs on September 25, 2026.

Meanwhile, the Finance Ministry has urged bank employees to avoid strikes and to resolve their outstanding issues through dialogue, emphasizing that many of the unions' concerns have been largely addressed.

Other demands from the UFBU include enhancements to pensions, a standardized dearness allowance formula for all pensioners, and the option for employees under the National Pension System (NPS) to revert to the old pension scheme (OPS).