Brazil's Congress approves shorter working week in win for Lula

**Brazil's Congress approves shorter working week in win for Lula**

The measure had wide backing, and trade unions staged rallies in support of it in recent weeks

Brazil's Congress has approved a constitutional amendment that will reduce the working week from 44 hours to 40 and give employees two days off each week without any cut in pay.

The reform marks the biggest change to workers' rights since Brazil returned to democracy in 1988.

Senators approved the amendment, which left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had backed, less than two weeks before the second round of the Latin American country's presidential election.

Supporters of Lula hope the measure's passage, which is estimated to help more than 30 million workers, will improve his chances of narrowing the gap with his right-wing opponent, Flávio Bolsonaro, in the 25 October run-off.

The son of former President Jair Bolsonaro won the first round of the presidential race with 47% of the vote, ahead of Lula's 45.2%. Neither reached the 50% of valid votes needed to avoid a decisive second round.

Opinion polls indicate that the move to shorten the working week is highly popular, with one nationwide survey showing that nearly 70% of Brazilians supported it.

The measure had already cleared the Chamber of Deputies, Brazil's lower house, in May, before senators backed it overwhelmingly on Wednesday by 75 votes to one.

Flávio Bolsonaro, who is now a senator, abandoned his earlier opposition to the measure and also voted "yes".

Explaining his change of position on Tuesday, he said he had been influenced by the measure's popularity, saying: "Most Brazilian workers ‌want to ⁠see the end of the six-day workweek, so I'm going to vote in favour of ending it."

The younger Bolsonaro had previously called the proposal an "opportunistic" effort by his presidential rival to win over working-class voters.

Before reversing his stance, he had said that work schedules should be decided by employees and employers, rather than having limits imposed through a constitutional amendment.

Lula called Bolsonaro's policy U-turn "electoral opportunism" and welcomed the amendment's approval, saying it would make a real difference to workers.

"It means more time to live, rest, be with family, watch your children grow up, look after yourself and enjoy life," he wrote on social media.

Parent groups were among those who supported the change.

Opponents of the measure have warned that it will increase production costs, which will ultimately be passed on to consumers, leading to higher prices.

Supporters, however, say that two days off a week will leave workers better rested and therefore more productive during the hours they do work.

The change will be introduced gradually, with the working week first cut to 42 hours after a two-month grace period and then reduced again to 40 hours at a later stage.

It will take more than a year for the changes to fully come into force, but many supporters are already celebrating.

Luciana de Almeida, 36, who works six days a week as a supermarket cashier, said it would "make a lot of difference" to her life.

The single mother, who lives in Rio de Janeiro, said she has been missing time with her three children because her only day off is usually spent on domestic chores.

"My body, and my mind in particular, are very tired," she told BBC Brasil.

"I need time with my daughters, have some leisure time, or even just some time resting at home."