Overview
- The United Forum of Bank Unions carried out a one‑day national strike on Friday that left a large number of public‑sector bank branches fully or partially closed.
- Customers continued to use digital channels such as UPI, mobile and internet banking while some ATMs ran low on cash and cheque clearances were delayed at branch counters.
- The Department of Financial Services advised banks to keep the contested PLI tranche for Scale IV–VIII in abeyance for 2025–26 to allow bilateral talks with unions.
- UFBU says it represents roughly 90% of officers and staff and reported about eight lakh participants on Friday, and it has scheduled a three‑day strike for Sept 28–30 plus a possible indefinite strike from Oct 26 if no timeline is given.
- Public‑sector lenders issued customer advisories and contingency plans; the next key developments to watch are government notification on five‑day banking and the outcome of fresh conciliation talks.