Brazil's Senate approved a constitutional amendment reducing the maximum workweek from 44 to 40 hours without salary cuts. The move, backed by President Lula, passed ahead of the Oct. 25 runoff against Flávio Bolsonaro.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
Brazil’s Senate approved a constitutional amendment on Wednesday to reduce the country’s maximum workweek from 44 to 40 hours without a salary cut. The measure, which passed with an overwhelming majority in two votes, is backed by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The president hopes the legislation will boost his standing against Flávio Bolsonaro in the Oct. 25 presidential runoff.
Lula is expected to sign the shorter workweek into law next week. The passage marks a shift in the Senate, where many lawmakers from Bolsonaro's opposition stopped blocking the initiative and sided with allies of the president. Davi Alcolumbre, the president of Brazil's Senate, said after the first vote, "Didn't I say this was going to work?" Alcolumbre had scheduled the vote between the first and second rounds of the election.
Recent polls indicated widespread support for the measure, despite opposition from many business owners. Mayra Goulart, a political scientist from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, noted, "The majority of voters have already chosen their candidate, so any shift in approval can determine the election."
On Tuesday, Flávio Bolsonaro, who bested Lula by 2.2 million votes in the first-round election, declared his support for the measure. This represents a reversal from his previous long-standing opposition, during which he advocated for a more flexible payment-by-the-hour regime and called the legislation election-motivated.
Lula commented on the shift, stating, "It seems to me that, after societal pressure, after all the street protests in Brazil, (Bolsonaro's) Liberal Party decided to vote to end the six days on, one day off schedule." Hours after announcing his support, Bolsonaro told business owners that the new Congress, where his party could reach a simple majority with allied parties in February, could review the measure, according to local newspaper O Globo.
The constitutional amendment establishes a 40-hour weekly limit and two rest days without reducing pay. The government states that more than 37 million workers could benefit from the new rules. However, people working in the shadow economy, such as freelancers and delivery drivers, will not be affected by the new legislation.
The amendment gives businesses 14 months to adopt the shorter workweek. This timeline was a key sticking point in negotiations, as many business leaders and lawmakers had wanted the changes to be made gradually over 10 years. Carla Beni, an economist at the Getulio Vargas Foundation, said, "Any change made in an election year can be considered an electoral measure."
The reform reflects a growing trend across Latin America to shorten workweeks. Neighboring countries such as Chile and Colombia have recently enacted legislation to reduce workweeks to 40 and 42 hours, respectively. In February, Mexican lawmakers approved a proposal by President Claudia Sheinbaum to trim the 48-hour workweek, with a goal of reaching 40 hours by 2030. Conversely, Argentina under President Javier Milei has bucked this trend and may extend its 48-hour workweek. For Brazil, the amendment represents the pinnacle of recent initiatives by Lula's government to shore up support before the runoff, which also included fuel tax cuts and debt pardons for small businesses.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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