01 September,2026 07:10 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
The demand for a five-day banking week has been pending for several years. Representational pic
Bank customers across the country could face significant disruption in September as the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), representing more than 90 per cent of the banking workforce, has called for two rounds of nationwide strikes over demands including a five-day banking week and changes to the Performance-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.
The UFBU has announced a one-day strike on September 11, followed by a three-day nationwide strike from September 28 to 30. If its demands remain unresolved, the umbrella body of seven bank employee and officer unions has also warned of an indefinite strike from October 26.
The planned stoppages come at a time when customers will already have fewer working days because of regular weekly holidays and festival holidays observed by banks. The combination could make September particularly difficult for customers who need branch-based banking services.
If the strikes go ahead, bank branches could remain closed, affecting services that require customers to visit a branch or depend on staff processing transactions.
While digital banking services such as internet banking, mobile banking, Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) are expected to continue operating, customers could face delays with services that require physical branch intervention. These may include cash transactions at branches, demand drafts, certain account-related requests, loan-related processing and other over-the-counter services.
The September 28-30 strike could be particularly inconvenient because it falls at the end of the month, when businesses and individuals typically have several time-sensitive banking requirements. Salary-related banking work, payments, cheque processing, cash requirements and other corporate and retail banking activities could be affected if they require branch-level processing.
The UFBU's latest strike call centres on two major demands: implementation of a five-day banking week and changes to the revised Performance-Linked Incentive (PLI) framework.
Five-day banking week: Bank unions have been seeking a five-day working week for several years. An in-principle agreement was reached as part of the wage settlement in March 2024, under which employees would work an additional 40 minutes each day from Monday to Friday in return for all Saturdays being declared holidays.
However, the proposal is still awaiting government notification. Unions have pointed out that several financial and government institutions, including the Reserve Bank of India, Life Insurance Corporation of India, General Insurance Corporation and NABARD, already follow a five-day working structure.
Performance-Linked Incentive: The second major issue is the revised PLI scheme introduced through a Department of Financial Services directive in August 2026.
Bank unions have objected to what they describe as a forced-ranking system. According to the UFBU, the revised framework provides incentives of up to 365 days' worth of incentive wages for officers in Scales IV to VII, while a large section of employees could receive little or no incentive under the system.
The UFBU has termed the arrangement "forced ranking and forced injustice" and is demanding a uniform, team-based PLI model covering all employees.
The impact of the proposed bank strikes could be more pronounced in September as they come alongside the month's regular Sundays, second and fourth Saturday closures and state-specific bank holidays. For customers who need to visit a physical branch, the combination could mean fewer working days and longer gaps between opportunities to complete branch-based transactions.
The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) holiday calendar lists bank holidays for different states and cities in September. In addition to Sundays, all scheduled and non-scheduled banks remain closed on the second and fourth Saturdays, which fall on September 12 and September 26 this year.
The UFBU has called a one-day nationwide strike on September 11, followed by a three-day strike from September 28 to 30. This means the first strike falls immediately before the second-Saturday closure, while the three-day strike comes immediately after the fourth Saturday and Sunday.
For customers, the latter stretch could be particularly significant. If the September 28-30 strike goes ahead, physical bank branches could be affected for three consecutive days after being closed on September 26 and 27 for the fourth Saturday and Sunday. This could leave customers with a prolonged period of limited access to branch services at the end of September.
However, bank holidays are not uniform across the country. Apart from Sundays and the second and fourth Saturdays, additional holidays apply only to specific states or cities depending on the occasion. Customers should therefore check the RBI holiday calendar and their bank's schedule before planning a branch visit.
September 4: Banks will remain closed for Janmashtami (Vaishnava) (Shravan Vad-8)/Krishna Jayanthi in several states.
The holiday does not apply to Maharashtra. Banks will be closed in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal.
September 6: Banks will remain closed on Sunday.
September 11: Banks will remain closed in Jaipur due to elections in the jurisdiction of the Jaipur Municipal Corporation.
Separately, the UFBU has called a nationwide bank strike on this date.
September 12: Banks will remain closed as it is the second Saturday. In Guwahati, Tirubhav Tithi of Srimanta Sankardeva will also be observed.
September 13: Banks will remain closed on Sunday.
September 14: Banks will remain closed in Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana for Ganesh Chaturthi/Ganesh Puja/Varasiddhi Vinayaka Vrata/Vinayakar Chathurthi/Hartalika.
September 15: Banks will remain closed in Goa, Gujarat and Odisha for Samvatsari (Chaturthi Paksha)/Nuakhai/Ganesh Chaturthi (second day).
September 20: Banks will remain closed on Sunday.
September 21: Banks in Assam and Kerala will remain closed for the Janmotsav of Srimanta Sankardeva and Sree Narayana Guru Samadhi, respectively.
September 22: Banks in Jharkhand will remain closed for Karma Puja.
September 23: Banks in Jammu and Kashmir will remain closed for the birthday of Maharaja Hari Singh Ji.
September 25: Banks in Sikkim will remain closed for Indrajatra.
September 26: Banks will remain closed as it is the fourth Saturday.
September 27: Banks will remain closed on Sunday.
September 28-30: The UFBU has called a three-day nationwide bank strike over its demands, including the implementation of a five-day banking week and changes to the PLI scheme. If the strike goes ahead, physical branch operations could be disrupted during these three days.
