UFBU Meeting 23 January 2026 Updates - 5 Days Banking

Today (23.01.26) again a meeting was held between UFBU, DFS, IBA, CLC and Bank Management for implementation of 5-Day Banking. The meeting was held at 3:30 PM in continuation to yesterday’s (22.01.26) meeting. Yesterday, the talks between UFBU and the Government of India failed, and the strike continued. Today also, the talks between UFBU and the government failed, and the strike will be conducted all across India on 27 January 2026.

Once again, the conciliation proceedings started to discuss the issue contained in the strike notice dated 08.01.2026 for the proposed strike to be held on 27.01.2026. At the outset, the Ld. representatives of DFS submitted that things are moving in the right direction and some decisions have been taken yesterday in favour of the Financial Sector. Accordingly, he requested the Ld. representatives of UFBU to reconsider their stand and defer the strike reflecting good gesture which may lead to positive outcomes.

At this stage, the Ld. representatives of IBA also requested in the same line of DFS and reiterated to consider the appeal so as to ensure that the dignitaries persuading their causes before the competent authorities may be strengthened to put forth their submission positively.

On the other hand, the Ld. representatives of UFBU reiterated that they are aware about the meaning and consequence of strike which is the ultimate legal right with the workmen. As such, they are not also of the intent to use such a stringent measure for pressing on the demand but as they have already deferred three such consecutive occasions of the proposed strike on some of the issues which contained the issue of 5 days banking also. As the Govt. is not at all responding on the issue of 5 days banking, they do not have any option in such compelling circumstances but resort to strike.

As the stalemate continued, the CLC(C) as Conciliation Officer also made an appeal to the Ld. union representatives to reconsider and avoid any direct action in the public interest so that industrial harmony be maintained. At the same time, the CLC(C) also advised other stakeholders to convey the message at appropriate level and try their level best to resolve the issue in public interest. It is also pertinent to mention at this stage that office of the CLC(C) is always open to facilitate the dialogue whenever it is required.

In the meantime, the provisions contained u/s 33(1) and 22 of the ID Act, 1947 shall remain in vogue. Next date in the matter is fixed on 09.03.2026 at 11.30 AM.

🗞️ What's happening right now about Strike

• Nationwide bank strike planned for  January 27, 2026 — Bank employee unions under the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) have called a one-day nationwide strike to press for the implementation of a full five-day work week (i.e., both Saturdays off). 

• Banks likely to be closed for up to four days, from Jan 24–27, 2026 — because the strike overlaps with regular weekend holidays and Republic Day holidays. 

• Disruption in banking services expected across Gujarat and other states on Jan 27, with many branches closed and services slowed down. Around 800,000 bank employees are expected to participate nationwide; in Bihar alone, about 8,100 branches and 50,000 staff are involved. 

• Unions have also been urging political support (for example from West Bengal’s Chief Minister) to strengthen their strike call and demands. 

• The strike demand centers around the five-day working week, a change that was recommended by the banking industry earlier but hasn’t yet been formally implemented by the government. 

📌 Why it matters

• Customer impact: Physical bank branches may be shut on the strike day — but digital services (mobile banking, ATMs, online transfers) often remain available. Plan ahead for essential transactions. 

• Union demands: The main focus is the five-day work week, but bank workers often include other issues in agitation (staff shortages, working conditions, staffing norms etc.). 

If you’d like, I can pull specific state-wise closure lists or official notifications from your local banks for Jan 27 specifically.

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Latest Updates on Bank Strike,IBA UFBU Meeting Update 14 January

IBA and UFBU met today to discuss the launch of 5-Day Banking. On January 27, 2026, UFBU declared a strike and demanded that 5-Day Banking be implemented right now. Major bank officer and staff unions were called to a conference by the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) on January 14, 2026, to discuss their demands for the planned nationwide bank strike.

The IBA called UFBU to a conversation today in response to the strike notice that UFBU served on the IBA. As a result, this afternoon's talks were held in the IBA headquarters. Chief Executive Shri A K Goel, Deputy Chief Executive Shri Gopal Murali Bhagat, Mr. Brajeshwar Sharma, the departing Senior Advisor, HR&IR, and the newly appointed Shri Arvind Misra represented IBA. 

IBA notified UFBU that the government has previously been advised to declare the remaining two Saturdays as holidays, and the government's response is still pending while it is being considered. IBA added that a few other concerns, most notably the PLI issue, are still unresolved.

IBA therefore recommended that all of these problems be investigated further and asked the UFBU to postpone going on strike on January 27, 2026.In response to IBA's request, UFBU said that although it was decided to proclaim the second and fourth Saturdays as holidays in 2015, it was promised that the remaining two Saturdays would be taken into consideration later. However, since then, nothing has occurred. 

In February 2023, IBA agreed to proclaim the remaining Saturdays as holidays, subject to government approval, while UFBU agreed to extend working hours by 40 minutes every day, Monday through Friday. The government has already been requested to consider this plan, and it has been pending for the last two years.

UFBU emphasised that in the present scenario of banking, declaring the remaining two Saturdays as holidays is most essential. In view of the inordinate delay in implementing this understanding reached between IBA and UFBU, UFBU regretted its inability to accept IBA’s request to postpone the strike.

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Meeting held between UFBU, IBA, Labour Commissioner; Read decision on 5 Day Banking and other issues

Today, August 11, 2025, the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA), representatives of major bank unions, and representatives from the Ministry of Labour & Employment held a conciliation meeting to discuss important issues that affect bank employees, such as hiring, PLI, branch security, and the long-standing demand for five-day banking. The Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner presided over the meeting, which started with a review of the minutes from the June 17, 2025, meeting.

The IBA informed that a meeting on recruitment and PLI was held in Delhi on August 10, 2025, but no final decision was reached. However, both sides said talks were progressing positively and expressed hope of reaching an amicable solution soon.

Regarding employee safety, the Department of Financial Services (DFS) and IBA said they had previously written to state governments, requesting that they take decisive action to stop attacks or threats against bank employees in the future. Although the unions accepted these actions, they maintained that hiring armed branch guards was the only practical way to guarantee bank employees' safety. They cautioned that similar incidents are unlikely to cease in the absence of armed guards.

Union representatives expressed anger and frustration over the government’s inaction on the demand for five-day banking. They said that despite repeated discussions, 5 day banking has not been implemented and warned that they might be forced to announce strike.

It was agreed to hold at least one meeting each month to continue the bipartite discussions on PLI and recruitment. The Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) will get the minutes of these sessions for their records. The IBA would advise bank management to take the necessary actions in response to the unions' requests on the security issue. The CLC(C) has already written to the Secretary, DFS, requesting prompt action on five-day banking. They will send out another reminder to get updates. October 15, 2025, at 11:30 AM, has been set as the date of the next conciliation meeting.

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UFBU and IBA meeting postponed

The Conciliation meeting between UFBU and IBA that was scheduled to be held on 22 April has been postponed to 30 April.Bank Employees are protesting against non-fulfillment of demands such as 5 Day Banking and adequate recruitment of staff. 

Earlier, meeting was held on 18.03.2025 but any decision would not be arrived at. So next meeting was scheduled for 21.03.2025. In that meeting, the strike was deferred and UFBU said that a consensus had been arrived for most of the demands.

What UFBU said in last meeting on 21.03.2025?

Serious negotiations on our demands began the morning before today's adjourned conciliation meeting. There were representatives from the Department of Financial Services (DFS) and the Indian Banks' Association (IBA).

The Finance Minister (FM) and the DFS Secretary had a fruitful conversation regarding the desire for five-day banking, according to the Joint Secretary of DFS, who joined the meeting via video chat.

The IBA suggested more talks on important topics like hiring, Performance-Linked Incentive (PLI), and other difficulties. The implementation of five-day banking is one of the topics that the Chief Labour Commissioner (CLC) promised to personally monitor.

The adjourned meeting will take place again during the third week of April. It was agreed to delay the strike scheduled for the 24th and 25th by one or two months in light of these encouraging developments.

All units are hereby informed that the strike has been postponed, and a detailed circular will be issued soon.

Key Demands Raised by Bank Employees

• Adequate Recruitment: Address the shortage of staff across all cadres in banks.
• Five-Day Work Week: Implement a five-day work week for the banking industry.
• Withdrawal of DFS Directives: Demand the immediate withdrawal of the Department of Financial Services (DFS) directives on performance reviews and the Performance Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, which threaten job security, create divisions among employees, and undermine the autonomy of public sector banks (PSBs).
• Safety of Bank Staff: Ensure protection for bank officers and staff against customer assaults and abuses.
• Fill Vacant Posts: Expedite the appointment of workmen and officer directors in PSBs.
• Resolution of Pending Issues: Resolve residual issues with the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA).
• Amend the Gratuity Act: Increase the gratuity ceiling to ₹25 lakhs, similar to government employees’ schemes, and provide income tax exemptions.

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AIBEA issued Clarification on 5 Day Banking, What happened in meeting?

UFBU just postponed the planned Bank Strike for March 24 and 25, 2025. The strike was called because a number of demands, including adequate bank recruitment and five-day banking, had not been met. The strike was postponed following a conciliation meeting with officials from the IBA, DFS, and Bank on March 21, 2025, at the Chief Labour Commissioner's (CLC) office. Since DFS provided no concrete indication regarding 5-Days Banking, bank employees across began to criticize UFBU's decision as soon as the strike was postponed. AIBEA has now clarified its position on 5-day banking.

The implementation of weekly 5-day banking was the subject of extensive discussion. We emphasized that the matter is still pending with the Government, to whom the IBA has advised, despite the fact that our Bipartite Settlement/Joint Note was signed in March 2024, a year ago. 

We clarified that disrespecting the sanctity of the bilateral settlement reached between the IBA and UFBU would be equivalent to keeping the matter open for so long. We also noted that the need for two days of weekly vacation has become essential in the current environment, when bank officers and managers labor beyond regular business hours and under a lot of stress.

IBA responded that they have recommended the subject to the Government and are seeking their approval in accordance with the Settlement/Joint Note. They promised to pursue the case with the government to obtain their proper consent when CLC pointed out that IBA should follow up with the government. 

 A DFS spokesman said that although the matter is being considered, no timeframe can be committed. As a result, this subject was in a virtual standstill. In order to learn the government's position and break the impasse, the Chief Labour Commissioner requested that a few high-ranking DFS officials attend the conciliation meeting.

A senior DFS Joint Secretary participated in the meeting via video conference and explained that the issue is receiving the government's serious attention, including from the Finance Minister, despite the fact that all of the DFS's top officials were preoccupied with the ongoing Parliament Session proceedings. 

We expressed our dissatisfaction with the excessive hold-up in the case and requested that the government move quickly. He asked the UFBU to reevaluate our call, stating that the government is already giving the issue significant consideration, even at the level of the finance minister.

Given the growing workload, stress, and long work hours that bank employees must endure, the call for a 5-day banking workweek is both sensible and essential. The bipartite settlement between unions and the IBA is undermined by the implementation delay, as the AIBEA correctly noted. Although AIBEA has properly called for prompt action, the government's evasive answers suggest that more pressure, increased public awareness, or more agitation may be needed to hasten approval. A five-day workweek is long overdue, and workers deserve acceptable working conditions. Instead of dragging out the process, the Government and IBA now have the responsibility to fulfill their promises.

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Why Bank Unions announced Strike and other trade unions support this Strike?

 

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UFBU announced two days strike in PSU Bank

The United Forum of Bank Unions has declared a two-day strike for March 24 and 25, 2025. The union has made proposals for public sector banks to implement five-day banking and hire enough employees. The union's demands and the strike timeline are listed below.

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Latest Bipartite Settlement News-Today's UFBU Meeting with IBA

Today bipartite talks for next wage revision settlement formally began between iba and ufbu. Iba has formed the main Negotiating committee as well as Sub committees to discuss our demands. Discussion on our demands will continue from the next round of talks.

Today we have signed the minutes for extending 100% DA for pre Nov 2002 pensioners and family pensioners . Detailed circular follows. 

More News will be update soon...

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