Bank Strike Looms: 5-Day Week, Pension Demands Ignored

Bank unions are threatening a nationwide strike on September 11, 2026, to press for demands such as a five-day work week and pension reforms. The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), representing nine employee and officer unions, has called for this action due to perceived delays in implementing five-day banking and disagreements over performance-linked incentives (PLI) for senior officers. The current PLI scheme is also facing opposition for potentially benefiting only a small group of officers.

If the initial strike does not yield results, the UFBU has announced further actions, including a three-day nationwide strike from September 28-30, 2026, coinciding with the half-yearly closure. An indefinite strike is scheduled to commence on October 26, 2026, if the government and bank management continue to disregard their demands. The issue of PLI is currently under conciliation and is also pending before the Delhi High Court.