Flavio Bolsonaro Reverses Course on Labor Reform Before Senate Vote
Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro announced on Tuesday that he will back a popular labor reform to reduce the country’s workweek to 40 hours.
Conservatives and allies of Flávio Bolsonaro surged in Brazil’s Senate elections, moving the right close to the votes needed to impeach Supreme Court justices and likely escalating its long-running confrontation with the judiciary. https://t.co/5XaAXsSV4j
The measure aims to lower working hours in Latin America’s largest economy from 44 to 40 hours a week. If enacted, it would dismantle the common retail practice of requiring employees to work six days a week, marking the most significant overhaul in Brazilian labor rights in decades. A nationwide Quaest poll conducted in July showed that nearly 70 percent of Brazilians support the change.
Political Calculus Behind the Senate Reversal
Senator Bolsonaro, the son of former right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, initially opposed cutting the workweek. He and his Liberal Party, known as the PL, previously argued that the legislation was crafted specifically to boost President Lula’s reelection prospects. However, the senator changed his position ahead of the crucial Senate vote.
“Most Brazilian workers want to see the end of the six-day workweek, so I’m going to vote in favor of ending it,” Bolsonaro told journalists on Tuesday, adding that the government would need to offset impacts on business.
Lawmakers aligned with Lula have pushed for a swift Senate vote before the upcoming runoff election on October 25, hoping to secure approval while the incumbent president remains in office. President Lula acknowledged the shift during an official event on Tuesday, stating that public pressure and street protests forced the PL’s hand.
Business Community Reaction and Electoral Stakes
Leandro Gabiati, director at political consultancy Dominium, noted that the move is a pragmatic strategy for the senator. Despite Flavio Bolsonaro leading President Lula with 47 percent of the vote in the first round of the election, Gabiati described the pivot as a smart maneuver to prevent alienating voters on an issue with broad popular appeal.
While business groups warn that the reduced workweek could increase operating costs and hurt national competitiveness, Gabiati suggested the business community will not feel betrayed by the senator’s decision, given their lingering ideological and practical reservations about the current administration.