Bank holiday today: Are SBI, BOB, Canara Bank and others closed?

Is bank holiday today: The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has called an all-India bank strike today, January 27, which may disrupt services at public sector banks such as SBI and PNB

Is bank holiday today? : An all-India bank strike called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) is underway today, Monday, January 27, 2026, raising concerns among customers about the availability of banking services at major lenders, including State Bank of India (SBI), Punjab National Bank (PNB) and Bank of Baroda.

 

While several bank employees are participating in the strike, banks are not officially closed, as per the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) holiday calendar. The disruption, if any, is due to the strike action by bank unions demanding the implementation of a five-day workweek.   

Bank strike today: what are employees demanding?

The UFBU decided to go ahead with the nationwide strike after conciliation talks with the chief labour commissioner on January 23 failed to yield assurances on their key demand — the early introduction of a five-day workweek for bank staff.

 

The UFBU is an umbrella body of nine bank unions representing officers and employees across public sector banks. According to Rupam Roy, General Secretary of the All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC), the Indian Banks’ Association and the unions had agreed in principle to declare all Saturdays as holidays during the wage revision settlement in March 2024.

 

What banks and unions have said on strike?

All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) General Secretary C H Venkatachalam, a constituent of UFBU, told PTI that despite detailed discussions during conciliation proceedings, there was no concrete assurance from the authorities.

“Despite detailed discussions during the conciliation proceedings, there was no assurance on our demand. Hence, we have been compelled to proceed with the strike action,” he said.

 

He added that the unions had proposed working an additional 40 minutes from Monday to Friday to offset any productivity concerns. “There would be no loss of man-hours,” Venkatachalam said.

Echoing similar views, National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE) General Secretary L Chandrasekhar said the agitation was not directed against customers. “This movement is not against customers, but for a sustainable, humane and efficient banking system. A rested banker serves the nation better. Five-day banking is not a luxury; it is an economic and human necessity,” he said.

 

Bank strike today: what bank services may be affected today?

At public sector bank branches such as SBI, PNB and Bank of Baroda, services including cash deposits, withdrawals, cheque clearances and routine administrative work are likely to be impacted due to reduced staff presence.

 

However, operations at major private sector banks such as HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank are expected to remain largely unaffected, as their employees are not part of the striking unions.

Digital banking services — including UPI, mobile banking and internet banking — are expected to function normally. ATM cash availability may face localised disruptions in some areas due to logistical delays.