BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 27th January 2026: Banking services across India came to a standstill today as the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), along with several other employee organizations, called for a nationwide strike demanding a five-day work week. Public sector banks in Tripura and other parts of the country remained completely shut, leaving customers struggling to access essential services.
While private banks reported limited impact, the closure of state-run banks caused widespread inconvenience. Cash withdrawals, deposits, cheque clearances, and other urgent transactions were disrupted. The strike compounded public difficulties, coming immediately after four consecutive holidays Saraswati Puja on January 23, the fourth Saturday, Sunday’s weekly holiday, and Republic Day yesterday leaving customers without banking access for five straight days.
According to the strike notice issued by nine unions and associations under UFBU, the protest began at midnight on January 26 and will continue until midnight on January 27. The unions are pressing for several demands, including implementation of a five-day work week, declaration of all remaining Saturdays as holidays, regulated working hours, faster rollout of performance-linked incentives (PLI), pension revisions, ex-gratia payments for retired private bank employees, and resolution of pending commitments made by the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA).
The unions also voiced opposition to the privatization of IDBI Bank, the merger of three regional rural banks, and what they termed the “foreignization” of India’s financial system.
Bank authorities stated that limited services would be attempted during the strike but warned of significant disruptions at branches and offices. Customers were advised to complete necessary transactions in advance and rely on ATMs and digital banking platforms for urgent cash needs. Banks also issued an apology for the inconvenience caused to the public.
