The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) is likely to go ahead with the proposed all-India bank strike on January 27, demanding five-day work week, after a conciliation meeting convened by the chief labour commissioner (central) between UFBU and the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) ended without an agreement.
During the meeting, the unions’ body stated that despite a memorandum of understanding on the issue of five-day banking system between the IBA and UFBU on December 7, 2023, and a subsequent settlement dated March 8, 2024, under which the IBA had recommended the proposal to the government, no approval has been received so far, according to official minutes of the meeting seen by Business Standard.
UFBU said that even during an earlier conciliation held on March 21, 2025, they were assured that the matter was under serious consideration, but no decision has been communicated till date.
“Hence, UFBU pointed out that they are constrained to go ahead with the proposed strike on January 27, 2026,” the minutes said.
Representatives of the IBA informed the conciliation officer that the issue has been taken up with the government and that instructions from the competent authority are still awaited. “IBA would vigorously pursue the matter with the government,” they stated.
The conciliation officer advised both sides to make further efforts to arrive at an amicable solution, noting that a bank strike would adversely affect the banking system. Representatives from the Department of Financial Services (DFS), including a joint secretary, also informed the meeting that the government is fully seized of the issue and may require more time before taking a decision, and appealed to UFBU not to precipitate in the strike at this stage.
UFBU, an umbrella body of nine bank unions, had served a strike notice on January 8, proposing a nationwide strike from midnight of January 26 to midnight of January 27. Following this, the office of the chief labour commissioner (central) took the matter into conciliation, considering banking as a public utility service, and convened a meeting on January 22.
UFBU representatives alleged that “intimidatory letters and communications” were issued by some banks, particularly targeting officers in scale IV, scale V and senior management grade scale (SMGS), to dissuade them from participating in lawful trade union activities, including the notified strike.
“The representatives reiterated that every employee and officer has a fundamental right to form associations and participate in legitimate trade union activities,” the minutes recorded, warning that selective targeting and blanket instructions could amount to an impermissible infringement of trade union rights under Section 25(T) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.
UFBU further objected to certain banks reportedly terming the proposed strike as “illegal” and proposing to treat participation in demonstrations as unlawful by misquoting Section 36(AD) of the Banking Regulation Act. The unions pointed out that the government had, in Parliament in 1968, assured that Section 36(AD) would not be invoked in such circumstances and that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had been advised accordingly.
“These actions of the management are unwarranted and amount to deliberate provocation and hence must be stopped forthwith,” UFBU representatives told the conciliation officer.
UFBU, however, reiterated that the demand for a five-day work week has been pending for over a decade and pointed out that the unions had already agreed to an extension of daily working hours by 40 minutes in return for declaring the remaining Saturdays as holidays.
With no mutual understanding emerging due to divergent positions, the conciliation proceedings were adjourned to January 23 at 3.30 pm. Meanwhile, the provisions of Sections 33(1) and 22 of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, will continue to remain in force.
UFBU consists of All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA), All India Bank Officers’ Confederation (AIBOC), National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE), All India Bank Officers’ Association (AIBOA), Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI), Indian National Bank Officers’ Congress (INBOC), National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW) and National Organisation of Bank Officers (NOBO).
 "UFBU unmoved on five-day week demand; January 27 bank strike to go ahead")
