IT WAS ESTIMATED BY THE SOVIET PRESS THAT, AS A RESULT OF A MARCH 1967 DECREE, ABOUT 82 PERCENT OF THE COUNTRY'S 80 MILLION WAGE AND SALARY WORKERS WOULD MOVE FROM THE TRADITIONAL 6 TO THE 5-DAY WORKWEEK BY NOVEMBER OF THE SAME YEAR. UNDER CERTAIN PRODUCTION AND WORKING CONDITIONS, THE PREVIOUS PATTERN OF A 7-HOUR WEEKDAY AND A 6-HOUR SATURDAY WAS TO BE CONTINUED. THE NUMBER OF WORKING HOURS, HOWEVER, REMAINED AT 41 AND, PRESUMABLY, OVERTIME WORK CONTINUED TO BE FORBIDDEN WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF TRADE UNION AND PUBLIC AUTHORITIES. WHEN OVERTIME HAD BEEN ALLOWED, THE AMOUNT WAS HIGHLY RESTRICTED, AND PREMIUM PAY WAS ALLOWED. ACCORDING TO THE SOVIET PRESS, A DROP IN BOTH THE ACCIDENT RATE AND THE RATE OF SICKNESS-CAUSED ABSENTEEISM FOLLOWED CONVERSION TO THE 5-DAY WEEK IN THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY. ABSENTEEISM DROPPED AS MUCH AS 6 PERCENT IN SOME PLANTS. A PRODUCTIVITY INCREASE IN SOME ENTERPRISES ALREADY ON THE NEW WORKWEEK SCHEDULE WAS ALSO REPORTED. THE SHORTER WORKWEEK NECESSITATED A NUMBER OF ADJUSTMENTS IN SERVICES USED BY WORKERS SUCH AS TRANSPORTATION, DINING FACILITIES, AND NURSERY CARE, AND THE LONGER WEEKEND CREATED THE NEED FOR MORE CONSUMER-SERVICE WORKERS AND ADDITIONAL FACILITIES FOR SUCH THINGS AS TRAVELING, SPORTS, AND FISHING. THIS ARTICLE IS PUBLISHED IN "MONTHLY LABOR REVIEW," VOLUME 90, NUMBER 8, AUGUST 1967. (ET)