Mongolian employees get weekend off

Workers in Mongolia are enjoying their first full weekend off since the Communist revolution of 1921, following the introduction of a new five-day working week.

They used to work forty-six hours a week, including Saturday, but the working week is now down to forty hours.

The government says the change is aimed at bringing Mongolia into line with international practice, improving industrial efficiency and creating more jobs.

But there have been warnings that workers will turn increasingly to drink -- one of Mongolia's biggest social problems.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service