The Brazilian Senate approved an amendment on Thursday that reduces the work week to five days, and this is done without a pay cut. This action will assist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in his competition against Flávio Bolsonaro in the second round of the presidential election scheduled for October 25.
Impacts of the New Amendment
Lula expects this shorter work week to soon become law. The leftist leader of Brazil has recently taken measures to bolster support ahead of the second round of elections, which include reducing fuel taxes, extending existing subsidies, and promising debt forgiveness for over 3.6 million small businesses to the federal government and others.
However, the promise to reduce the work week has become one of the main pledges Lula hoped to fulfill before the second round of elections. According to the government, this amendment, known as "Amendment 6x1," could benefit over 37 million workers.
Comments and Reactions
Lula wrote on platform X: "The end of 6x1 is more than a change in the workday. It is more time for living, resting, being with family, overseeing children's growth, taking care of oneself, and enjoying life." He added: "Those who work hard to build Brazil also deserve more time to live. This is a victory for workers. Brazil is ready for more."
However, this law still does not cover many individuals in the shadow economy, such as freelancers and delivery drivers. Lula, a former union leader, has been working on this proposal to reduce the work week over the past year.
Flávio Bolsonaro, a right-wing senator and the eldest son of the imprisoned former president Jair Bolsonaro, has long opposed this law. However, Flávio Bolsonaro changed his stance on Tuesday and announced that he would support this bill due to the significant backing it has received.
Many businesses opposed this bill, claiming it would increase their costs. Bolsonaro had previously sought to create a flexible payment regime where individuals could negotiate their wages with their employers. He has repeatedly described this law as electoral and motivated.
In the first round of elections earlier this month, Bolsonaro dealt a heavy blow to Lula, finishing first with 47% of the votes, although he did not reach the 50% needed for an absolute majority.
