Flávio Bolsonaro said on Tuesday, 13 October, that he would vote for a constitutional amendment to end Brazil’s 6×1 workweek: six days on the job, followed by one day off. The Senate had scheduled its first vote for Wednesday, 14 October. The amendment needs at least 49 votes in each of two rounds. The announcement came 11 days before the presidential runoff between Bolsonaro and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
A change in position
Bolsonaro had earlier called the proposal opportunistic, arguing that workers should negotiate their hours directly with employers. Brasil de Fato, a left-leaning São Paulo news outlet, reported that he told the press, “A maioria dos trabalhadores brasileiros quer o fim da escala 6×1,” meaning most Brazilian workers want the schedule to end. Then he said, “Então, eu vou votar a favor do fim da 6×1,” meaning he would vote to end it.
He also said, “só que a gente defende algo ainda melhor,” or that his camp supports something even better. Brasil de Fato reported that he didn't explain what that alternative would be.
Poder360, a Brasília political news site, reported that Bolsonaro had decided he couldn't vote against the amendment. He still viewed the text as poorly drafted and harmful to the economy. At a press conference in Brasília on Tuesday, 6 October, he promised an “infinitely better” alternative to the Senate text. According to Estadão Conteúdo, carried by the Belém daily O Liberal, he also said, “whoever wants to work more will work more.”
The vote and the rules
The proposal is a constitutional amendment, known in Brazil as a PEC, that would end the 6×1 schedule as the legal norm. Many retail, service and factory employees work six days for every day off under that pattern. Brazil’s Constitution limits the standard workweek to 44 hours and the workday to eight hours. The report compared the weekly limit with the 40-hour threshold for overtime pay under U.S. federal law.
Senate President Davi Alcolumbre scheduled the first round for Wednesday, 14 October, according to Poder360 and O Liberal. Brasil de Fato said the vote might happen Wednesday or Thursday. Senators would then hold a second round, with three-fifths support required in each vote. Bolsonaro, a sitting senator for Rio de Janeiro and the Liberal Party (PL) candidate, Brazil’s main conservative party, was expected to cast his own vote. Whether the party would tell its senators to follow him remained unclear. The weekly-hour limit in the final text couldn't be checked against the official Senate record.
Lula challenged Bolsonaro on Wednesday, 7 October, asking how he would vote, Poder360 reported. O Liberal said Lula pressed him again on Monday and predicted most senators would support the change.
Employers, investors and the election
The report said U.S. companies with employees in Brazil, including retailers, manufacturers and call centres, could face new scheduling rules if the amendment passes. Companies with large hourly workforces might need more staff or overtime. Investors in New York-listed Brazilian shares, including Petrobras, Vale and Itaú Unibanco, monitor labour costs and the fiscal outlook.
The runoff is set for Sunday, 25 October, and the winner is due to take office in January 2027. The report said the election would shape relations with Washington: the United States imposed tariffs of up to 50% on Brazilian goods in 2025, Bolsonaro’s family is allied with President Donald Trump, and Lula has pressed Washington to lift the tariffs. Bolsonaro's support doesn't guarantee passage, and he hasn't specified his alternative or said whether he would seek changes after the vote.