Brazil’s Senate gave final approval this week to a constitutional amendment shortening the standard workweek, handing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva a political win as he fights to close the gap with right-wing rival Flávio Bolsonaro ahead of the October 25 runoff election.
The measure, which the government had been pushing for months, lowers the weekly work limit from 44 to 40 hours and guarantees workers two paid days off instead of the current one. Senators approved the bill by an overwhelming 75 votes to 1, following its passage in the lower Chamber of Deputies back in May. With the Senate’s sign-off, the reform has now cleared Brazil’s full legislative process.
Senator Omar Aziz, who oversaw the bill in the upper chamber, called it “the greatest achievement for Brazilian workers” since the country’s 1988 Constitution was enacted — the charter that restored democratic rule after Brazil’s military dictatorship. After the vote, several senators broke into chants of support for Lula, underscoring how closely the measure is tied to his reelection campaign.
The labor reform lands at a pivotal moment, as Lula looks for ways to boost his standing against Bolsonaro before Brazilians head back to the polls. Read the full original report for more details.
Source: <![CDATA[Brasil aprueba semana laboral de 40 horas, bandera de Lula antes de las votaciones]]> (RSS::excelsior.com.mx – Portada).
Image: Diego3336, BY 2.0 (via Openverse).