Senate President Davi Alcolumbre has scheduled plenary debate on PEC 221/2019, a constitutional amendment that would reduce Brazil’s maximum weekly working time from 44 to 40 hours and guarantee two paid weekly rest days, with no salary reduction. The proposal cleared the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate’s Constitution and Justice Committee, but still needs at least 49 votes in each of two Senate rounds.¹

For President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the measure is both a government priority and a social reform. He argued that workers “cannot live only to work” and should have time for family, study, rest and life, with two days off each week and no cut in pay.² Lula said he was convinced the Senate would approve what he called a “historic advance” for millions of Brazilian workers.²

The proposal’s supporters emphasize the practical benefits of more predictable rest. It would introduce the 40-hour ceiling in stages—first dropping to 42 hours within 60 days of promulgation, then to 40 hours after a further 12 months—and would require two paid days of rest, one preferably Sunday. Collective bargaining agreements could still set compensatory schedules, provided the average rest entitlement is preserved.³

The opposing and more cautious view is not necessarily directed at the goal of more rest, but at how the transition would affect employers. Business representatives and senators critical of the amendment have raised concerns about higher costs, companies’ competitiveness and the scope for negotiating working hours.⁴

Alcolumbre has sought to present the Senate’s role as a balancing exercise. He said the matter would be debated with “responsibility, balance and respect for the different perspectives involved,” while the Senate weighs workers’ interests alongside those of productive sectors and the wider economy.¹ The timetable could still move quickly if senators agree to waive procedural intervals between the two votes.³