MUST TOIL HARDER

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 98, 22 October 1940, Page 4

MUST TOIL HARDER

THE WORKERS OF RUSSIA

Russia has told her workers that they will have to work longer hours a day and more days a week, and that they will be put in prison if they emit their jobs without permission, says anj Associated Press message to American newspapers. The country needs more metal, coal, and oil and more aeroplanes, tanks, j and guns, because of increasing war danger, the workers were told. The new era was announced in a message by the All-union Central Council of Trade Unions. War-inspired production speed-ups in capitalist countries, it said, have made it necessary to junk the 5-day 35-hour week, and adopt a 6-day 48-hour programme. The message said:—"Our task is to strengthen still more the defence of our country, strengthen the Red Army and navy and air force, perfect and augment their armaments, strengthen Socialist industry, and supply the Red Army with everything necessary. . , , . t "We are obliged to exert every effort for further industrial development for strengthening our States. We require more metal, coal, oil, more aero- ■ planes, tanks, guns, shells, more loco- j motives, cars, machine tools, and automobiles, and higher production in every branch of our national economy." While the increase in hours will be general, it will not apply to every worker. Exceptions will be made for certain classes. It is estimated the programme will increase production one-sixth. The five-day week under which Russia has been operating is not to be confused with the five-day week known in the United States. The Soviet worker did not get two days off each week; he worked five days, rested one, and then worked another five days. Each day of the month divisible by six was known as a free day, when most workers had their day off. Thus the sixth, twelfth, eighteenth, twentyfourth, and thirtieth days of each calendar month were workless days for all except those whose duties required them to take some other day off. The worker had 60 free days a year. The new system will-cut this to 52. ,