Summary of this article
Bank unions will strike nationwide on September 11.
Five-day banking remains the unions’ principal demand.
PLI changes and pending issues remain unresolved.
Bank unions will go ahead with their nationwide strike on September 11, 2026 after talks with the government failed to resolve their key demands, with the five-day banking week being at the centre of the dispute.
The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has maintained that it will not defer the strike without a favourable decision or a definite timeline for introducing a five-day banking week.
The latest conciliation meeting took place at the office of the chief labour commissioner (central) in New Delhi, with representatives of the UFBU, Indian Banks’ Association (IBA), Department of Financial Services (DFS), and labour authorities.
The DFS has appealed to the unions to reconsider the strike because the BRICS Leaders’ Summit is scheduled in New Delhi from September 11-13. The unions have declined to change their plans without progress on the five-day week.
In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the UFBU has listed four demands: implementation of a five-day banking week, withdrawal of the performance-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, modification of the PLI framework through bipartite discussions, and resolution of pending issues.
Five-Day Week At The Centre
The five-day banking week has been the unions’ principal demand for years. Under the 12th Bipartite Settlement and the 9th Joint Note signed in March 2024, the proposal has envisaged a Monday-to-Friday workweek, with longer daily working hours to compensate for the additional weekly holiday.
The proposal has subsequently been recommended to the government, but implementation has not taken place. The unions have argued that longer weekday hours would compensate for the extra weekly holiday.
PLI Scheme Adds To Dispute
The unions have also opposed the revised PLI framework for senior officers in public sector banks. They have sought its withdrawal or modification through bilateral discussions.
On September 7, 2026, the finance ministry kept implementation of the PLI scheme for senior public sector bank officers in abeyance for FY2025-26 following concerns raised by bank employees. The ministry has indicated that the issue will be taken up during the ongoing bipartite settlement and joint note discussions covering future wage revisions and service conditions.
SBI Prepares For Strike
State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest lender, has received the UFBU’s strike notice. In a September 7 stock exchange filing, SBI said that it has made arrangements for normal functioning of its branches and offices on the strike dates.
SBI has cautioned that work may be impacted by the strike.
The UFBU has scheduled further strike action for September 28, 29, and 30, followed by a continuous strike from October 26 if the disputes have not been resolved. The UFBU comprises seven unions: AIBEA, AIBOC, NCBE, AIBOA, BEFI, INBEF and INBOC.
