Bank strike from Sept 28-30: Why are employees demanding 5-day work week and pension tweak?

Banks across India could face disruption to in-branch operations from September 28 to 30, 2026, as the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has proposed a three-day nationwide strike to press for its key demands, including the implementation of a five-day banking week and pension reforms.

The proposed strike comes immediately after the weekend holidays on September 26 and 27, raising concerns of an effective five-day disruption to customer services. In response, the Finance Ministry held a meeting with the chief executives of public sector banks and regional rural banks on Monday.

Following the meeting, it was decided that all PSBs and RRBs will remain open and operate normally on Sunday, September 27, the Finance Ministry said in a statement. The move is aimed at minimising disruption to banking services.

The main demand of the bank unions is the implementation of a five-day banking week, under which all Saturdays would be holidays. Banks currently remain closed on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month.

To justify the demand, the unions have pointed out that the the Reserve Bank of India ( RBI ), the central government and even the insurance sector already follow a five-day work week. On top of that, the proposal has been pending since the 2024 wage settlement.

Highlighting the workload faced by bank employees, All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC) Delhi President and All India Senior Vice President Kushal Gupta said that bankers work hard day and night and that the existing system is affecting their work-life balance.

“Our colleagues work hard day and night. This is impacting their work-life balance,” he told news agency ANI .

Gupta also said that the widespread availability of digital banking facilities means customers would not face significant inconvenience if physical bank branches remained closed for a day. Additionally, ATMs and cash deposit machines also remain available during bank holidays, he added.

He said the demand for a five-day banking week was first raised in 2012 and subsequently led to an agreement in 2015 under which bank employees were given two Saturdays off every month, according to the news report.

The bank unions have also sought the updation of pension for retired bank employees that would better reflect changes in the cost of living.

While the pay scales of serving bank employees are revised periodically, those who retired 20 or 30 years ago continue to draw pensions based on the pay scales applicable at the time of their retirement.