Ahmedabad: Banking services at public sector banks (PSBs) across the country are set to take a hit today as bank employees participate in a nationwide strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU). The protest aims to press for the introduction of a five-day work week in the banking sector.

The strike follows conciliation talks held with the Chief Labour Commissioner on January 23, which ended without any concrete assurance from the government regarding the unions’ demands. UFBU is an umbrella organisation representing nine unions of bank officers and employees.

As banks remained closed on the fourth Saturday and Sunday, followed by the Republic Day holiday on January 26, the strike has effectively resulted in a four-day disruption of branch-level services at public sector banks.

Operations at major PSBs, including the State Bank of India (SBI), Punjab National Bank (PNB), Bank of Baroda and several others, are expected to be impacted.

Banks issue public advisories

Technically, banks are not closed today as per the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) official holiday calendar. However, normal banking operations may be affected due to the nationwide strike.

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— State Bank of India (@TheOfficialSBI) January 23, 2026

Several banks have already cautioned customers about possible service disruptions. SBI and Bank of Baroda, in separate social media posts, stated that their banking services may be impacted due to the all-India strike on January 27, 2026.

Union Bank of India also issued an advisory stating:
“Due to the nationwide bank strike on January 27, 2026, we request customers to use the bank’s 24×7 digital channels such as mobile banking, ATM, internet banking, BC and UPI services for their banking needs.”

Why have bank unions called the strike?

The unions are demanding the declaration of all Saturdays as bank holidays — a provision agreed upon under the 12th Bipartite Settlement signed between the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) and UFBU in March 2024. However, the proposal is still awaiting formal notification from the government.

Currently, banks operate on the first, third and fifth Saturdays of every month, while the second and fourth Saturdays remain holidays along with Sundays. Union leaders have maintained that work efficiency will not be affected, noting that employees have agreed to extend weekday working hours by 40 minutes under a five-day work model.

Services likely to be affected

Customer-facing services at public sector bank branches are expected to face the maximum impact, including:

• Cash deposits and withdrawals

• Cheque clearing operations

• Passbook updation

• Routine administrative and customer service activities

Services expected to continue

Private sector banks such as HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank are expected to function normally, as their employees are not participating in the strike.

Digital banking services, including UPI, mobile banking and internet banking, are expected to remain operational. However, ATM cash availability may face isolated disruptions due to logistical constraints. DeshGujarat