The United Forum of Bank Unions says its first stoppage will last one day, followed by another on September 28–30. It has also warned of an indefinite strike beginning October 26 if the government and Indian Banks’ Association do not accept its demands.

UFBU represents roughly 90 per cent of banking employees across public-sector, private-sector, foreign, regional rural and cooperative banks. Its workweek demand remains unresolved despite the IBA’s agreement in principle as part of the March 2024 wage settlement. Final approval from the Finance Ministry is still awaited.

Employees currently have holidays on the second and fourth Saturdays each month. The proposed arrangement would make every Saturday a holiday, with 40 additional working minutes on each weekday. Unions point to the five-day schedules already followed by RBI, LIC and NABARD.

The other dispute concerns Performance Linked Incentive, or PLI. Previously, employees across grades had a common ceiling of 15 days’ wages. Revised Department of Financial Services rules allow officers in Scales IV–VII to receive up to a year’s salary, while the remaining 95 per cent of employees retain the earlier cap.

Unions describe this difference as unfair. They also allege that the revised formula was imposed while the dispute remained before the Delhi High Court and the Labour Commissioner.