Brazil, October 15, 2026: Brazil’s Congress has approved a constitutional amendment reducing the maximum working week from 44 to 40 hours and abolishing six-day workweeks, a major political victory for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ahead of the presidential runoff on Oct 25.
The reform could benefit more than 30 million workers, including 16 million currently working six days a week. It comes as Lula seeks to overturn the first-round lead secured by his far-right rival, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, with less than two weeks remaining before the election.
Lula strongly backed the proposal, which will give some workers an additional day off each week. Bolsonaro initially opposed the reform but reversed his position on Tuesday, acknowledging that “the majority of Brazilian workers” supported it.
On Wednesday, Bolsonaro joined 75 senators in approving the amendment, which had cleared the lower house in May. Only one senator, Hamilton Mourão, who served as vice-president under Bolsonaro’s father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, voted against it.
Over 30 Million Workers Set To Benefit
The amendment will primarily affect employees in retail, restaurants and hotels, many of whom are low-paid workers. This is also a section of the electorate where Lula has lost considerable support since defeating Jair Bolsonaro in the 2022 presidential election.
Celebrating the approval, Lula wrote on social media that “ending the 6x1 schedule is about more than changing working hours. It means more time to live, rest, be with family, watch your children grow up, look after yourself and enjoy life.”
The proposal originated from a TikTok movement called Life Beyond Work, launched by a pharmacy assistant who later entered politics following the campaign’s success. Lula subsequently embraced the initiative, and his party spent months pressing the Senate to bring it to a vote.
The reform appeared uncertain after the far right’s strong electoral performance last week, which secured it a broad congressional majority for 2027. However, Senate President Davi Alcolumbre, whose relationship with Lula has occasionally been strained, allowed the vote to proceed.
Bolsonaro’s party had considered blocking the amendment, but opinion polls showed support from more than 70% of Brazilians, including over half of Bolsonaro’s voters.
Bolsonaro Reverses Stand Amid Election Pressure
Bolsonaro had warned in May that the reform could lead to “mass unemployment”, echoing concerns repeatedly raised by employers’ associations opposing the proposal.
Despite voting in favour of the amendment remotely while campaigning in southern Brazil, Bolsonaro maintained on Tuesday that he “supports something even better”, referring to his preferred alternative under which wages would depend on the actual hours worked.
Brazilian newspaper Folha reported that Bolsonaro had told business leaders he would review parts of the amendment if elected. Several senators allied with him expressed similar intentions during Wednesday’s vote.
The changes will not take effect before the Oct 25 runoff. Once the Senate President formally promulgates the amendment, a 60-day transition period will begin. Six-day workweeks will then be abolished, and the maximum working week will fall from 44 to 42 hours. A further reduction to 40 hours will follow after another 14 months.
Victor Escobar, a researcher at the Laboratory of Parties, Elections and Comparative Politics, said the reform “could indeed benefit Lula’s re-election campaign”.
“It will speak to how voters feel economically when they cast their ballot; they can feel more relieved with a change in their working schedule,” he added.
Workers Welcome Reform As Experts Highlight Health Benefits
Marilane Oliveira Teixeira, a professor and researcher at a study centre at the University of Campinas, said research had demonstrated the harmful consequences of allowing workers only one weekly day off.
“People who work a 6x1 schedule are practically prevented from having even a minimum level of social life,” she said.
Teixeira warned that such schedules could contribute to illness, workplace risks and exhaustion, “especially for women, who still carry the burden of unpaid domestic work”.
Lilian Cristo dos Santos, 50, who works as a saleswoman at a home appliances shop in Salvador, Bahia, described the difficulties of having just one day off each week.
“There’s no time to go to the doctor, to the beach, to the salon, to look after myself; I wanted to have time to study and I can’t. On my only day off, I have to clean the house and look after my family,” she said.
Santos, who voted for Lula, said some of her colleagues supported Bolsonaro.
“They say he represents change – well, yes, but certainly for the worse.”
Lula Seeks To Build Momentum Before Oct 25 Runoff
Political analysts believe Lula has gained momentum despite Bolsonaro’s first-round lead. Apart from the working-hours reform, demonstrations by Lula’s supporters have attracted thousands of people across Brazil, while his campaign has sought to strengthen its social media presence.
Lula has also announced additional benefits ahead of the runoff, including debt relief for microentrepreneurs. In a letter to evangelical Christians, a group that has historically favoured Bolsonaro, he reiterated his commitment “to ensuring that everyone has two days off a week, because life is not just about work”.
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Escobar said Lula was making a concerted effort to reach undecided voters, even though most Brazilians had already made their electoral choices.
“Although most people have already decided their vote, there are some who are more responsive to political moves, and Lula has been trying very strongly to reach them. … The race still looks somewhat tangled, tied, with some degree of advantage for Bolsonaro, but it is still a very open election.”
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