# UFBU Rejects Appeals to Defer Strike; Calls for Total Strike on 11 September 2026 Demanding 5 Days Banking
**Date:** 9 September 2026
**Circular No.:** 30/28/2026/61
Despite multiple rounds of conciliation and direct discussions with the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) has decided to go ahead with the **nationwide strike on 11 September 2026** as no concrete timeline or positive assurance has been received on the introduction of 5 Days Banking.
## Sequence of Developments
**4 September 2026 – Talks with IBA:** Following the strike notice, IBA invited UFBU for discussions. No solution was offered on the demands, leading UFBU to reaffirm its strike call.
**8 September 2026 – Conciliation by Dy. CLC:** A meeting was convened by the Deputy Chief Labour Commissioner. DFS informed that:
– PLI scheme for Scale 4–8 officers has been kept in abeyance for 2025-26 and will be bilaterally discussed.
– 5 Days Banking is “under consideration” by the Government. – They requested UFBU to defer the strike.
IBA echoed the same appeal. UFBU welcomed the PLI development but strongly protested the Government’s attempt to boost non-negotiating organisations and emphasised that 5 Days Banking was already agreed in the March 2024 settlement and recommended to the Government. The issue has been inordinately delayed for two-and-a-half years, causing widespread agitation among banking staff.
**9 September 2026 – Meeting with Joint Secretary, DFS:** Ms. Shalini Pandit, IAS, Joint Secretary, DFS, reiterated that PLI has been resolved amicably and 5 Days Banking is under consideration. She appealed for deferment, noting that strike action might further delay the issue. UFBU maintained that without a definite development or timeline, they could not reconsider the strike.
**9 September 2026 – Conciliation by Chief Labour Commissioner:** Chaired by Ms. Sonal Mishra, IAS, CLC, with DFS and management representatives present. All parties appealed to UFBU to defer the strike. UFBU repeated its position that 5 Days Banking remains a priority issue and regretted its inability to defer the call.
## Other Pending Residual Issues Highlighted
UFBU also drew attention to several long-pending demands:
– Adequate recruitment of clerical and sub-staff
– Conversion of NPS to OPS
– Income Tax exemption on 4% extra NPS contribution by banks – Increase in Gratuity ceiling
– Pension updation and uniform DA
– Ex-gratia revision for pre-November 2022 pensioners and extension to private banks
– Filling up of Workman and Officer Director posts
– Introduction of Leave Bank
– Banks to bear premium on Medical Insurance Policy for retirees
## Call to Action
In view of the continued delay and lack of any definite timeline on 5 Days Banking, UFBU has called upon all unions and members to implement the strike on **11 September 2026** in full strength. The demand is justified, and unity must be fortified to make the strike a total success.
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## Full Original Circular Text
**ALL INDIA BANK EMPLOYEES’ ASSOCIATION**
Central Office: “PRABHAT NIVAS” Regn. No.2037
Singapore Plaza, 164, Linghi Chetty Street, Chennai-600001
Phone: 2535 1522 Web: www.aibea.in
e mail ~ chv.aibea@gmail.com & aibeahq@gmail.com M 98400 89920
**CIRCULAR No. 30/28/2026/61** 9-9-2026
To Office Bearers, State Federations and All India Bankwise Federations
Dear comrades,
**Conciliation meeting by Dy. CLC yesterday**
**Meeting by Joint Secretary, DFS, MoF today**
**Conciliation meeting by CLC today**
**But no concrete and positive outcome on 5 Days Banking**
**Hence March on to 11th September Strike**
**UFBU CIRCULAR NO. 23**: Talks with IBA on 4th Sept.: Further to the Strike Notice served on the IBA by UFBU, IBA had invited our Unions for discussions on the demands contained in the strike notice on 4-9-2026. Since IBA could not offer any solution to our demands, we informed them that we shall go ahead with our strike action.
**Conciliation meeting on 8th:** Yesterday, Shri. Niranjan Kumar, Dy. Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), Ministry of Labour, Government of India convened a conciliation meeting. Representatives of IBA and managements from various public sector Banks and private sector Banks were present. Representatives of DFS, Ministry of Finance were also present. From UFBU, all our Unions were present.
**What DFS said:** From the DFS, they informed that various
initiatives have been taken by the Government to address the issues of the banking employees. They also stated that DFS has advised the Banks to keep the PLI scheme for Scale 4 to 8 officers in abeyance for the year 2025-26 and the same would be bilaterally discussed between the unions and the IBA. On 5 Days Banking, they informed that the Government is seized of the issue and it is still under their consideration. Hence, they requested UFBU to defer the strike.
**What IBA said:** IBA representative also stated that in view of the positive instructions of the Government on the PLI issue and since 5 Days Banking is under consideration by the Government, the UFBU may defer the strike call and continue the discussions.
**What UFBU said:** From our side, we informed them that while we have taken note of the decision of the Government to keep their PLI formula in abeyance and to resolve that issue through bilateral discussions with the unions which is the demand of the UFBU, we also expressed our strong protest about the attempt of the Government to boost some outside organisation which is not a negotiating union in the banking sector.
We pointed out that the issue of 5 Days Banking has already been agreed upon in the settlement in March, 2024 and recommended to the Government for approval. But the issue is being inordinately delayed and held up with the government. Hence entire banking staff are agitated and aggrieved and the strike is to ventilate our protest against the delay and demanding early approval.
**Pending Residual issues:** We also drew the attention of the Dy. CLC, DFS and IBA that our residual issues like adequate recruitment of clerical and substaff in Banks, conversion of NPS to OPS, exemption of Income Tax on 4% extra contribution by Banks to NPS, increase in ceiling on Gratuity under the Gratuity Act, updation of pension, uniform DA on pension, revision in Ex-gratia to pre-November, 2022 pensioners, Ex-gratia in all private banks, deliberate non-filling up of Workman and Officer Director posts in Banks, introduction of Leave Bank, premium on Medical Insurance Policy for retirees to be borne by the Banks, etc. still remain unresolved. IBA informed that these issues will be discussed with the UFBU.
**5 Day Banking is a priority issue:** We informed them that 5 Day Banking is a priority issue and if there is any positive development towards introduction of 5 Day Banking or a definite timeline, UFBU can reconsider the call or otherwise we will continue with the strike call. The conciliation proceedings were adjourned to 9th afternoon.
**Meeting called by DFS:** Today morning, an online meeting was called by DFS. Ms. Shalini Pandit, IAS, Joint Secretary, DFS, Finance Ministry spoke to us stating that PLI issue has been resolved amicably as per UFBU demand and 5 Days Banking issue is also under
consideration. She also said that Government has advised IBA to expedite next bipartite settlement well in advance. She said that Government is always sympathetic to our demands but on the issue of 5 days banking, while our demand is genuine, Government has to keep so many other stake-holders in mind and hence it will take time. She said that while government cannot give any timeline, going on strike may further delay the issue.
While thanking her, we informed that without any definite development in the issue, we cannot reconsider our strike call.
**Conciliation meeting today:** The adjourned conciliation proceedings were held online today afternoon. Meeting was chaired by Ms. Sonal Mishra, IAS, Chief Labour Commissioner. From DFS, Ms. Shalini Pandit, IAS, Joint Secretary, DFS was present with other officials. Dy. CLC, RLC were present. Various management representatives were present. All our unions were also in the meeting. All were requesting and appealing to UFBU to defer the strike since the issue of PLI has been resolved and 5 Days Banking issue is under consideration.
We repeated our submissions that 5 Day Banking is an important issue for UFBU since IBA had agreed to the same as early as March, 2024 but for the past two and a half years, the issue is kept pending by the Government. In view of this we regretted our inability to accede to their request to defer the strike.
**March on comrades:** In view of this, we call upon all our unions and members to go ahead and implement the strike on 11th Sept., 2026.
Comrades, our demand is justified. Our strike call is justified. Fortify our unity and make the strike a total success.
With greetings,
Yours Comradely,
C.H. VENKATACHALAM
GENERAL SECRETARY
*Source: Official AIBEA Circular No. 30/28/2026/61 dated 9 September 2026 (UFBU Circular No. 23).*
*Original PDF archived for reference.*
2026-09-09_AIBEA_Cir_30_28_2026_61_Conciliation_Meetings_5_Days_Banking_Strike.pdf