Weekend Warrior

According to a report by Izvestia, the Association of Entrepreneurs for the Development of Business Patriotism (AVANTI) has approached Anton Kotyakov, the head of the Ministry of Labor, with a proposition to implement a six-day workweek in Russia.

According to proponents of the initiative, prior to the imposition of the first wave of international sanctions in 2014, the Russian economy had maintained a consistent pattern of robust growth and had secured its position as one of the world's top five economies. However, the increase in restrictive measures (aka sanctions), has amplified burdens on the economic sector.

“Thanks to the clear actions of the government and the Central Bank," AVANTI said in its appeal, "the economy and the national currency of Russia not only withstood the blow, but also demonstrated resistance to stress. Nevertheless, at present, the need for additional investments in our financial and economic system remains.”

Thus, they go on to argue that an extension of the workweek would bolster the resilience of the Russian economy, facilitating a technological and industrial leap forward, while fortifying economic autonomy.

The association highlighted that Soviets worked six or seven days a week during WWII. After the war, the workday gradually decreased to seven hours with a six-day week, and in 1967, a five-day week with an eight-hour workday was implemented. In various Asian and European nations, such as Nepal and Iran, ther is a six-day workweek, and Belgium and Turkey both allow up to 48 hours in a work week.

On the other hand, at the end of March 2023, the State Duma proposed amending the Labor Code and introduced a shortened working week. Alexander Shershukov, deputy head of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia (FNPR), suggested that a shorter workweek could  safeguard employment opportunities.