In the Soviet Union, modern Russia, and Hungary, the Friday following a public holiday that falls on Thursday and the Monday before one that falls on Tuesday are transferred to Saturdays to make longer runs of consecutive nonworking days.
[citation needed] Some employers and many education institutions treat the working Saturday as a regular one (giving a "free" day off in the former case).
[3] In some areas a reduced workweek (săptămână redusă de lucru) was permitted, involving 1-2 extra work hours from Monday to Friday in exchange for a free Saturday, but this was only about flexibility of working program, not a real process of switching to a 5-day workweek.
Unions in Romania were not independent, but obeyed the Communist Party, so they were not interested in fighting for workers rights.
[citation needed] The process of transition to 5-day workweek started on 19 March 1990[4] with 2 free days a month, usually Saturdays.