Brazil's Congress approves shorter working week in win for Lula
The constitutional amendment sets a transition from a 44-hour to a 40-hour maximum week.
TL;DR
- Brazil’s Congress approved a constitutional amendment to reduce the maximum workweek from 44 hours to 40 hours, according to BBC and The Guardian.
- The change also phases out six-day workweeks, with implementation scheduled after formal promulgation.
- The vote was a political win for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva before the Oct. 25 presidential runoff.
Brazil’s Congress approved a constitutional amendment to shorten the maximum workweek, with the Senate vote reported on Oct. 14. BBC and The Guardian described the measure as reducing the ceiling from 44 hours to 40 hours and ending the six-day work schedule. [1] [2]
The Guardian reported that the lower house had approved the measure in May and that 75 senators voted in favor, with one against. The amendment does not take effect immediately: a promulgation and transition period precede the changes. [1]
The transition described in the coverage first reduces the limit to 42 hours and then to 40 hours after a further period. The change is expected to affect tens of millions of workers, particularly in service sectors, though the precise reach depends on implementation. [1]
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva backed the change ahead of the Oct. 25 runoff against Flávio Bolsonaro. The vote’s political effects and the amendment’s eventual impact on employment and business costs remain open questions; the reports record approval, not measured outcomes. [1]
Why it matters
The constitutional change links labor standards to the approaching presidential contest and could reshape staffing patterns across retail, hospitality and other service industries.
Editor's note
The reports agree on approval and the 40-hour destination; the rule had not yet taken effect at publication.