THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
The U.S. State Department provides the following description of Russian labor laws in its economic report on Russia:
e. Acceptable Conditions of Work: The Labor Code provides for a standard workweek of 40 hours, with at least one 24-hour rest period. The law requires premium pay for overtime work or work on holidays. Workers have complained of being required to work well beyond the normal week, that is, 10 to 12-hour days, and of forced transfers. Total wage arrears reached 64 billion rubles in August 1998, up from 40 billion rubles a year earlier. Workers are economically constrained: their ruble savings have been destroyed by the rampant inflation of the early 1990's and the devaluation of August 1998; most have not been paid for periods of five to twenty-five months; and their freedom to move in search of new employment is virtually eliminated by the system of residency permits. The law establishes minimal conditions of workplace safety and worker health, but these standards are not effectively enforced.