Leftist legislator seeks to reduce Brazil's working week to 4 days

A Brazilian lawmaker is proposing a bill to reduce the number of days in the working week, attracting support from other leftist forces and generating debate in the country that could directly impact companies' operations.

Erika Hilton, a lawmaker from the Socialism and Liberty Party (PSOL), drafted the text to reduce the working week to four days from the current five or five and a half for those who work Saturdays, with a maximum of 44 hours.

The proposal has been gaining momentum in recent days as left-wing parties prepare an offensive to try to shift public sentiment toward their agenda, including more pro-worker labor laws.

In the municipal elections in October, center-right parties were the biggest winners, while in the United States, Donald Trump's election win has alerted leftist parties to take more action focused on the working classes.

"The result of the election in the United States was an important warning to left-wing political forces that they need to engage more with the working middle class. In recent years, left-wing movements have become heavily associated with gender and environmental agendas, and have lost some of the prominence they previously had in discussions about labor issues," Mário Sérgio Lima, an analyst at Medley Global Advisors, told BNamericas.

To be eligible for evaluation and be voted on in the lower house, a bill must attract the support of at least 171 of the total 513 lawmakers. So far, Hilton's proposal has gained the support of 134 lawmakers, including members of the ruling Workers Party (PT), a congressional spokesperson told BNamericas.

"The original proposal from the congresswoman is quite radical and it's difficult to see it being approved in this format in congress. However, the fact is that in recent days, the proposal has been attracting a lot of support on social media from voters and larger left-wing parties, such as the Workers Party, increasing its chances of approval. It's possible that, with some changes, the bill may move forward," said Lima.

However, the proposal has generated criticism from right-wing politicians and business leaders, as it could increase costs for companies. 

If approved, the reduction in working hours would mean that companies would have to hire more people to maintain their day-to-day activities.

The analyst also said that in the coming months left-wing forces are likely to try to advance other bills on labor rights in preparation for the 2026 elections, when Brazilians will vote for president, state governors and members of congress.