Brazil’s Senate on Wednesday approved a constitutional amendment to reduce the country’s workweek from six days to five, providing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva a key legislative win less than two weeks before the country’s presidential runoff.
The popular labor reform was backed by lawmakers from across Brazil’s political spectrum in the two required votes, including by Lula’s runoff opponent, right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, who had once opposed it.
Approved by the Senate after receiving the green light from the lower house in May, the amendment lowers working hours in Latin America’s largest economy to 40 hours a week from 44, effectively ending a common practice in some sectors, such as retail, of requiring formal employees to work six days a week.
It marks the biggest overhaul of Brazilian labor rights in decades. The government had estimated that the new rules would benefit more than 37 million formal-sector workers, with the new standard to be implemented over a 14-month period.
Lula, who is seeking a fourth non-consecutive term, and his government have championed the measure, while Bolsonaro and his Liberal Party long opposed it, arguing the move was designed to boost Lula’s reelection prospects.
In a post on X, Lula called the amendment a victory for workers.
“It’s more time to live, rest, be with family, watch your children grow, take care of yourself, and enjoy life,” said the president.
Bolsonaro, who led Lula in the election’s first round vote earlier this month, ultimately reversed course on Tuesday ahead of the Senate vote, saying he would in fact vote to shorten the workweek.
(Reporting by Fernando Cardoso in Sao Paulo; Editing by Brendan O’Boyle and Andre Romani )
