Brazil’s Congress approves 40-hour working week in Lula win

Brazil’s Congress approved a constitutional amendment on Wednesday that cuts the maximum working week from 44 hours to 40 and guarantees two days off per week without a salary reduction. The Senate passed the measure by 75 votes to one, less than two weeks before the 25 October presidential runoff.

What does Brazil’s new working week change?

The amendment reduces the working week from 44 to 40 hours and gives employees two days off a week, with no cut in pay. It is the largest change to labour rules since Brazil returned to democracy in 1988. Supporters estimate it will benefit more than 30 million workers.

How will the shorter week be phased in?

The working week will first be shortened to 42 hours after a two-month grace period, then cut again to 40 hours at a later stage. The changes will take more than a year to take full effect.

How did the Senate vote?

Senators approved the amendment on Wednesday by 75 votes to one, after the Chamber of Deputies, Brazil’s lower house, passed it in May.

Flávio Bolsonaro, currently a senator, dropped his earlier opposition and voted in favour. “Most Brazilian workers want to see the end of the six-day workweek, so I’m going to vote in favour of ending it,” he said on Tuesday.

He had earlier called the proposal an “opportunistic” attempt by Lula to appeal to working-class voters, and argued that work schedules should be agreed between employees and employers rather than fixed in the constitution. Lula described the reversal as “electoral opportunism”.

Why is the vote tied to the presidential election?

The amendment passed less than two weeks before the 25 October runoff. Flávio Bolsonaro won the first round with 47% of the vote, ahead of Lula on 45.2%. Both fell short of the 50% of valid votes needed to avoid a second round.

Lula’s supporters hope the measure will help him close the gap with his rival. Opinion polls suggest the change is popular: one nationwide survey found almost 70% of Brazilians backed it.

Lula, who championed the amendment, has also moved to ban online gambling in Brazil in the days before the election.

What do critics and supporters say?

Critics warn the measure will raise production costs, which will eventually be passed on to consumers as higher prices. Supporters argue that two days off a week will leave workers better rested and therefore more productive in the hours they do work.

What does the change mean for workers?

“It means more time to live, rest, be with family, watch your children grow up, look after yourself and enjoy life,” Lula wrote on social media.

Luciana de Almeida, 36, a supermarket cashier in Rio de Janeiro who works six days a week, said the change would “make a lot of difference” to her life. The single mother of three said her only day off was usually spent on domestic chores. “My body, and my mind in particular, are very tired,” she told BBC Brasil.

Frequently asked questions

What is Brazil’s new working week?

Brazil’s Congress approved a constitutional amendment cutting the maximum working week from 44 hours to 40, with two days off per week and no reduction in salary. The Senate passed it by 75 votes to one on Wednesday.

When does the 40-hour week start in Brazil?

The change is phased in: the working week first falls to 42 hours after a two-month grace period, then to 40 hours at a later stage. Full implementation will take more than a year.

Why did Flávio Bolsonaro vote for the shorter working week?

Flávio Bolsonaro dropped his earlier opposition and voted in favour, saying most Brazilian workers want the end of the six-day workweek. Lula called the reversal “electoral opportunism”.

How many workers will benefit from the shorter working week in Brazil?

Supporters estimate the amendment will benefit more than 30 million workers, according to the estimates cited in coverage of the vote.

With reporting from BBC News.

Stock image, not from the events described. City Skyline — Joe deSousa / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)