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Bank Strike Today, 12 February 2026: Today, Thursday, 10 major central trade unions in the country are on strike. These include several bank unions. Due to the strike, operations at many banks will be disrupted. You might arrive at a branch and find it locked. However, this won't be the case for all bank customers. Confusion persists regarding which banks will be closed and which will remain open due to the strike. Therefore, if you're planning to visit a bank today for any important work, it's crucial to know this.

Bank of Baroda has already announced in an exchange filing that banking services may be disrupted due to the bank union strike. SBI, the largest public sector bank, has also stated that banking operations will be affected, and IDBI Bank has also expressed similar concerns.

So, will all banks be closed today?

Several major bank unions in the country have announced a strike, which is likely to disrupt services. The Bank of India (BOB) stated that the All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), the All India Bank Officers Association (AIBOA), and the Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFAI) have jointly announced the strike.

Bank of Baroda further stated that it is taking all necessary steps to ensure the smooth functioning of its branches and offices. Operations may be affected in the event of a strike.

On the other hand, State Bank of India (SBI) has also stated that it will make every effort to maintain normal operations, although service delays may occur. It added that the strike may impact banking services.

IDBI Bank has also received a strike notice from unions. The bank has stated that work may be disrupted during the strike. Meanwhile, employees of PNB (Punjab National Bank) may also join the strike.

Will HDFC, ICICI, and Axis Bank remain open?
News agency IANS reported that due to the participation of major banking unions in this strike, employees of several public sector banks, such as the State Bank of India and Punjab National Bank, are expected to participate. However, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has not declared any holiday on this day.

Only public sector bank employees are participating in this strike, so operations at private banks such as HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, RBL Bank, and IDFC First are expected to remain normal.

What are the bank unions' demands?
"5 days a week, 2 days off" has been a long-standing demand of bank unions. According to reports, the reason for the strike is the four new labor codes, which the unions have described as an increasing burden on the workforce. Earlier, on January 27th, banking unions had announced a strike demanding five-day working hours and two weekends. Meanwhile, several public sector banks had already informed the stock exchanges that the strike could impact banking services.

The strike was called by the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), a joint platform of nine bank unions representing officers and employees of public sector banks. The strike decision was taken after a meeting with the Chief Labour Commissioner on January 23 failed to reach a solution. This included major public sector banks such as the State Bank of India (SBI), Punjab National Bank (PNB), and Bank of Baroda.

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