Russian businesses call for Soviet-style six-day work week

Russian business leaders have called on the Kremlin to implement a Soviet-style work regime in support of the country’s war effort according to Britain’s Ministry of Defence. 

Business leaders in Russia have asked the federal government to implement a six-day in order to meet increasing economic demands based on a British intelligence update. 

However, it isn’t just business leaders calling for a shift to longer working hours. Russian state-backed media figures also joined in the calls to get citizens working to win the war. 

The British intelligence update noted public debate in Russia has shifted increasingly to a mindset “mandating citizens to actively make sacrifices in support of the war effort.”

One of these sacrifices would be longer working hours without additional pay according to Britain’s Ministry of Defence, and the ideas are being sold by the country’s media. 

Margarita Simonyan was one prominent media personality pointed to as an example of the changing information space because of recent comments she made about the duty of citizens. 

The British intelligence update noted that on May 21st Simonyan urged citizens to work two hours in munitions factories after they had finished finishing at their regular jobs. 

"Our guys are risking their lives and blood every day… We're sitting here at home. If our industry is not keeping up, let's all get a grip!” Simonyan said according to Newsweek.

“Aren't we all ready to come help for two hours after work?" Simonyan continued before going on to explain that Russia was fighting against Ukraine alone and without allies. 

Simonyan added that dozens of countries supplied the Ukrainians with ammunition and when her viewers got outraged they should remember who they were fighting, and why. 

The British Ministry of Defence update called the “evolving tone of the conversations in Russia” something that was reminiscent of “Soviet-style sense of societal compulsion.” 

“It also highlights how the leadership highly likely identifies economic performance as a decisive factor in winning the war,” the update added but few real details were given. 

The British intelligence update did not say what businesses had requested the switch to a six-day work week nor did it reveal if the Kremlin would approve the business appeal. 

Business Insider noted that the shift in public debate came just as the Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin was warning about the possibility of revolution in Russia. 

“Everything might end as in 1917, with a revolution—when first the soldiers rise up, and then their loved ones,” Prigozhin told Konstantin Dolgov according to The Times of London. 

While revolution at this point is unlikely, it is interesting to see how the information space in Russia is changing and whether or not that will lead to the sacrifices Russian media and business leaders have called for from the citizens of Russia.