It’s Saturday, January 24, 2026, and if you’ve got a check to deposit or a locker to visit, you might want to stop what you’re doing. We are looking at a potential four-day banking blackout.
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The thing is, it’s not just a weekend break. It’s a collision of the calendar and a massive labor dispute. Or nothing.
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The Banking Blackout: Field Notes
It’s an ongoing situation where roughly 8,00,000 employees are ready to walk out. Here’s the ground reality:
The Timeline: Today (Jan 24) is the 4th Saturday—banks are already shut. Tomorrow is Sunday. Monday is Republic Day. And now, Tuesday, January 27, is the strike day.
The “Why”: The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) is tired of waiting for the 5-day work week. They’ve already agreed to work an extra 40 minutes every day to make up for the lost Saturdays. Let’s be real—the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) signed off on this back in March 2024, but the government has been sitting on the final approval for two years.
The Conciliation Fail: A meeting happened this past Wednesday and Thursday with the Labour Commissioner and the Ministry of Finance. The thing is, it went nowhere. No “positive outcome,” so the strike is officially a go. Those too.
The Digital Safety Net: Your UPI, IMPS, and ATMs should still work. But if you need a physical person behind a counter for a demand draft or a major cash deposit, you’re basically stuck until Wednesday. Or nothing.
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Strike Impact Guide (Jan 24–27, 2026)
| Date | Day | Reason for Closure |
| Jan 24 | Saturday | 4th Saturday (Standard RBI Holiday) |
| Jan 25 | Sunday | Weekly Off |
| Jan 26 | Monday | Republic Day (National Holiday) |
| Jan 27 | Tuesday | Nationwide Strike (UFBU Call) |
And Here’s the Kicker…
While public sector banks (PSBs) like SBI and Bank of Baroda will be ghost towns, the big private players—HDFC, ICICI, and Kotak—are expected to run as usual. The thing is, they aren’t part of the UFBU umbrella. Those too.
One side comment—the unions are pointing at the RBI and LIC, who already have 5-day weeks. Their argument is basically: “If the people managing the money and the people insuring the money get Saturdays off, why don’t the people actually handling the money?” It’s an ongoing situation where the “discrimination” card is being played heavily. Or nothing.
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End…
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