Politics

Brazil's Senate approves constitutional amendment cutting workweek before Lula runoff

The amendment cuts the maximum week from 44 to 40 hours without a salary cut, and Lula is expected to sign it next week.

Updated Oct 15, 2026 · 12:18 UTC5 reports

The short version

Brazil's Senate approved a constitutional amendment cutting the maximum workweek from 44 to 40 hours without a salary cut.[Associated Press · Deutsche Welle · ABC News]
The government says more than 37 million workers could benefit, but freelancers and delivery drivers in the shadow economy are excluded.[Associated Press · Deutsche Welle · ABC News]
Lula is expected to sign the measure into law next week, and the change could give him an edge before the October 25 runoff against Flávio Bolsonaro.[Associated Press · Deutsche Welle · ABC News]
Flávio Bolsonaro, who long opposed the bill, now backs it, and businesses get 14 months to adopt the change.[Associated Press · Deutsche Welle]

Brazil's Senate approved a constitutional amendment reducing the maximum workweek from 44 to 40 hours without a salary cut.[Associated Press · Deutsche Welle · ABC News]
The government says more than 37 million workers could benefit from the amendment.[Associated Press · Deutsche Welle · ABC News]
The Guardian reports the change would affect more than 30 million workers and bans six-day workweeks now worked by 16 million people.[The Guardian]
Lula is expected to sign the shorter workweek into law next week.[Associated Press · Deutsche Welle · ABC News]
The amendment gives businesses 14 months to adopt the shorter workweek.[Associated Press · The Guardian]
Flávio Bolsonaro, who had long opposed the bill, reversed course and voted for it remotely.[Associated Press · The Guardian · Deutsche Welle]
The legislation does not cover freelancers or delivery drivers in the shadow economy.[Associated Press · Deutsche Welle · ABC News]
Hamilton Mourão, a former vice president under Jair Bolsonaro, was the only senator to vote against the amendment.[Associated Press · The Guardian]

Estimates of affected workers differ: the government says more than 37 million could benefit, while the Guardian reports more than 30 million would be affected.[Associated Press · The Guardian · Deutsche Welle · ABC News]
Lula's signature is expected but has not been confirmed in the reporting.[Associated Press · Deutsche Welle · ABC News]
Whether the measure will give Lula an electoral edge is an expectation attributed to the reporting, not a confirmed outcome.[Deutsche Welle]

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.