▁made ▁the ▁situation ▁worse : ▁e . g ., ▁a ▁ 1 9 3 2 ▁change ▁to ▁the ▁R S FS R ▁labor ▁law ▁code ▁enabled ▁firing ▁workers ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁absent ▁without ▁a ▁reason ▁from ▁the ▁work place ▁for ▁just ▁one ▁day . ▁Being ▁fired ▁accordingly ▁meant ▁losing ▁" the ▁right ▁to ▁use ▁r ation ▁and ▁comm od ity ▁cards " ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁" loss ▁of ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁use ▁an ▁a partment ″ ▁and ▁even ▁black list ed ▁for ▁new ▁employ ment ▁which ▁altogether ▁meant ▁a ▁threat ▁of ▁star ving . ▁Those ▁measures , ▁however , ▁were ▁not ▁fully ▁enfor ced , ▁as ▁man agers ▁were ▁hard - pressed ▁to ▁replace ▁these ▁workers . ▁ ▁In ▁contrast , ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 8 ▁legisl ation , ▁which ▁introduced ▁labor ▁books , ▁followed ▁by ▁major ▁revis ions ▁of ▁the ▁labor ▁law , ▁was ▁enfor ced . ▁For ▁example , ▁being ▁absent ▁or ▁even ▁ 2 0 ▁minutes ▁late ▁were ▁grounds ▁for ▁becoming ▁fired ; ▁man agers ▁who ▁failed ▁to ▁en force ▁these ▁laws ▁faced ▁criminal ▁pro sec ution . ▁Later , ▁the ▁Dec ree ▁of ▁the ▁Pres id ium ▁of ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Soviet , ▁ 2 6 ▁June ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁" On ▁the ▁Transfer ▁to ▁the ▁E ight - H our ▁Working ▁Day , ▁the ▁Seven - day ▁Work ▁Week , ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁Pro hib ition ▁of ▁Un author ized ▁Depart ure ▁by ▁Labor ers ▁and ▁Office ▁Work ers ▁from ▁Fact ories ▁and ▁Off ices