Bank employees observe nationwide strike: Five days closure of banks caused massive inconvenience to customers

A nationwide bank strike called on Tuesday affected the banking services across the state along with other parts of the country. United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine major banking unions representing nearly nine lakh employees and officers across the country demanding immediate implementation of a five-day work week in banks.

As a result, public sector banks remained closed on Tuesday both in the country and in the state. Though, the private sector banks may not be significantly affected by the strike. The closure of public sector banks caused considerable inconvenience to customers.

The hardship was compounded as banks had already remained closed for four consecutive days—Friday for Saraswati Puja, Saturday being the fourth Saturday, Sunday, and Monday due to Republic Day. Following this prolonged closure, the strike on Tuesday further added to the difficulties faced by bank customers.

Since Tuesday morning, employees and officers of nationalized banks staged demonstrations in front of the Melarmath (Agartala) branch of State Bank of India (SBI) demanding fulfillment of their demand for five-days banking. Similar demonstrations have also been organized in front of other nationalized bank branches in Agartala and other subdivisional towns of the state.

While, speaking with media persons during their demonstration, Sanjoy Datta, a senior leader of UFBU said that  since last ten years, the bank employees are demanding for immediate implementation of a five-day work week in banks,, which has been agreed upon in the 12th Bipartite Settlement and the 9th Joint Note signed on March 8, 2024.

A large number of bank employees and officers participated in the protest, raising slogans and demanding the early introduction of the five-day banking system.

Addressing the gathering, Datta criticized the Central government and the Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) for failing to honour the agreed settlement. He said that although the IBA forwarded the proposal to the government in 2024, approval has been pending for several months, forcing employees to resort to protests.

He also criticized the Central government’s labour policies, particularly the implementation of the four Labour Codes, which he described as anti-employee and anti-people. He expressed solidarity with the striking bank employees from citizens of the country and added that if their demands are not fulfilled , they will organize larger movements across the country.

Datta congratulated employees for their massive participation and urged them to be prepared for prolonged agitations.

Union leaders alleged that despite the settlement, the agreed provision has not been implemented due to delays in government approval. Conciliation talks held on January 22 and 23, 2026, failed to yield any positive outcome, prompting the unions to intensify their agitation through the nationwide strike.