Bank customers throughout India should brace themselves for a significant physical banking service disruption next week. Branch banking hours will be blocked for four straight days, starting from Saturday, January 24, to Tuesday, January 27, 2026. The stoppage follows a nationwide strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) on January 27 as a result of some pre-arranged public and weekend holidays.
Why Are Banks Closed for Four Days?
The four-day “shutdown” is a blend of planned holidays with industrial action. Following is the timeline for the impacted phase:
- January 24 (Saturday): Fourth Saturday of the month (Standard Bank Holiday).
- January 25 (Sunday): Weekly holiday.
- January 26 (Monday): Republic Day (Gazetted National Holiday).
- January 27 (Tuesday): Nationwide Bank Strike by UFBU, initiated.
Physical branch services such as cheque clearing, demand draft issues (DDs), passbook refresh, and cash deposits in person will be inaccessible during this time.
The Core Demand: Work a 5-Day Week
The strike has been led by the UFBU, an umbrella for nine large bank unions. First of all demand will focus around the long-pending need of a 5-day banking week (Monday through Friday), making all Saturdays holidays. Bank employees receive only the second and fourth Saturdays off now. The unions argue that:
- Sector Parity: The RBI, LIC, GIC, the stock markets, and government offices already have a 5-day week.
- No Man-Hours Lost The unions have promised to extend working hours across the working day by 40 minutes including Monday through Friday so the total time worked week-to-week does not amount to an hour reduction.
- Mental Health: Being a part of a strong two-day weekend is a must for the emotional well-being of employees in a high-stake digital banking industry.
What services will be kept going?
Institutional level branch operations will be affected but digital banking infrastructure will be up and running. Customers are advised to work through other channels for their urgent needs:
Impact on the Economy
Financial analysts say the one-day strike on Tuesday coming on the heels of a three-day holiday would have an effect on transactions worth more than ₹50,000 crore across public sector banks. Small business owners, in particular, are concerned about cash-flow delays, and the backlog of pending cheques, which will probably only be processed Wednesday, January 28. The Indian Banks' Association (IBA) and the Central Government are yet to settle a final deal with the unions, which means the January 27 strike is probably the most viable option.
