Senate Approves Constitutional Amendment Ending Brazil’s 6x1 Work Schedule

Overview

• The Federal Senate approved the PEC in two rounds by 75 votes to 1 on Wednesday, formally removing the 6x1 pattern of six workdays followed by one rest day.
• The approved text reduces the standard weekly workweek from 44 hours to 40 hours, guarantees two days of rest each week and bars salary cuts tied to the change.
• Senator Flávio Bolsonaro reversed his earlier stance after visiting his father and voted remotely in favor, while former vice-president Hamilton Mourão cast the lone opposing vote.
• Senators used a special calendar to hold both voting rounds in one session after government leader Teresa Leitão gathered signatures, and Senate president Davi Alcolumbre told allies he plans to promulgate the amendment next Tuesday.
• The change affects sectors that have long used 6x1 rosters and will require rules on transition and employer adjustments, and it has become a central issue in the closing weeks of the presidential campaign.