BRAZIL · POLITICS
Key Facts
- —What is happening Brazil’s Senate passed the constitutional amendment ending the 6×1 work week on Wednesday, 14 October, by 75 votes to 1 in both rounds; only Hamilton Mourão voted no.
- —Why it matters The change gives workers two paid rest days and cuts the maximum week from 44 to 42 hours two months after promulgation, then to 40 hours a year later, and it lands 11 days before the 25 October runoff.
- —The numbers The amendment needed 49 of 81 senators in each round and got 75; the Chamber of Deputies had passed it in May, so it now goes to promulgation without returning to the Chamber.
- —Who is who Senate President Davi Alcolumbre scheduled the vote, Omar Aziz of the PSD (Social Democratic Party) was rapporteur, and runoff rivals Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro now both say they support ending 6×1.
- —What to watch Congress still has to promulgate the amendment, and Alcolumbre has said that could happen as soon as next week.
- —Prediction markets Polymarket 83.0% and Kalshi 84.0% for a Flávio Bolsonaro runoff win, 15 October, 12:51 a.m. ET. Polymarket puts Flávio Bolsonaro’s chance of winning at 83% and Kalshi at 85% (Lula: 17% and 17%), as of 15 October, 1:20 am ET; prices are bets, not polls.
- —Power Index Brazil ranks 1st of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 75.0 points (October 2026 edition).
- —What it means for you US companies with Brazilian payrolls, from retailers to call centres, will have to plan new rosters, while investors in Petrobras, Vale and Itaú Unibanco will watch how labour costs adjust.
Runoff · Sunday, 25 October
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Brazil’s Senate voted 75 to 1 on 14 October to end the 6×1 work week, sending a shorter week and two paid rest days to promulgation 11 days before the presidential runoff.
Brazil’s Senate on Wednesday, 14 October, passed the constitutional amendment that ends the 6×1 work week, in which millions of employees work six days and rest one. The vote was 75 to 1 in both rounds, far above the 49 of 81 needed.
For US readers, the vote reshapes labour costs in Latin America’s largest economy and removes one divisive issue from the 25 October runoff. It also affects every American company that employs staff in Brazil.
What the Senate Approved
The text is PEC 221/2019, known in Brazil as a PEC (proposta de emenda à Constituição), or constitutional amendment. It lowers the maximum working week from 44 hours to 42 hours two months after promulgation and to 40 hours a year later, according to Agência Senado and Gazeta do Povo. It also raises weekly paid rest from one day to two, with one of them preferably on a Sunday.
Agência Senado, the Senate’s own news service, reports that daily work is capped at eight hours, with room to offset hours between days. It also says pay may not fall and that some changes will be phased in.
How the Vote Went
The Chamber of Deputies approved the text in May, and the Senate’s Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ) cleared it on 2 September. The full Senate held five discussion sessions before the first round, then dispensed with the three sessions normally required before the second.
Hamilton Mourão of the Republicans, a senator for Rio Grande do Sul, cast the only vote against in both rounds. Senate President Davi Alcolumbre told the chamber that millions of Brazilians were following the session with hope.
Why the Timing Matters
The vote came 11 days before the runoff between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the Liberal Party’s Flávio Bolsonaro on Sunday, 25 October. Lula made ending 6×1 a central promise of his campaign, according to Gazeta do Povo.
Flávio, a Rio de Janeiro senator, said on Tuesday, 13 October, that he would vote for the change after earlier calling it runoff.
Alcolumbre had What It Means for US Readers
American companies with Brazilian staff, from retailers and restaurant chains to call centres and factories, will have to plan rosters around a shorter week and two rest days. For comparison, the US overtime threshold under federal law is already 40 hours a week. Investors in New York-listed Brazilian shares such as Petrobras, Vale and Itaú Unibanco will watch how employers absorb the cost, and the two-step phase-in will decide how quickly it shows up. The result also removes a populist flashpoint from a runoff that will set Brazil’s tone toward the Trump administration. Bettors on Polymarket gave Flávio Bolsonaro 83.0% and Lula 16.5% to win the runoff on 15 October at 12:51 a.m. ET, with about US$182 million traded on the market. That is down from 86.1% for Flávio on 14 October at 4:50 a.m. UTC, though we cannot tie the move to the Senate vote. Kalshi, regulated in the US by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), priced Flávio at 84.0% and Lula at 18.0% at the same time. These are bets, not polls, and the two sides can add up to more than 100% because of buying and selling spreads. Prediction markets · who wins the runoff Implied chance of winning Brazil’s presidency on 25 October, from traders’ prices. Polymarket Flávio Bolsonaro 83% · Lula 16.5% (US$182 million traded) Kalshi (regulated in the US by the CFTC) Flávio Bolsonaro 85% · Lula 17% As of 15 October, 1:20 am ET (06:20 Lisbon), updated every 20 minutes. Prices are bets, not polls, and can move fast. Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them. Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them. The exact dates depend on when Congress promulgates the amendment, which has not happened yet. Reports do not say how the new rules will apply to shift-based sectors. No verified estimate of the cost to employers is available. Flávio’s call for hourly flexibility could still resurface in later legislation. Congress, not the president, promulgates constitutional amendments, and Gazeta do Povo reports that Alcolumbre indicated this could happen next week. The date has not been fixed. More: Brazil news, every day from The Rio Times. It passed PEC 221/2019, a constitutional amendment that ends the 6×1 work week. The vote was 75 to 1 in both rounds, with Hamilton Mourão the only senator against. It ends 6×1 by raising weekly paid rest from one day to two, one of them preferably a Sunday, and cutting the maximum week from 44 to 42 hours two months after promulgation, then to 40 hours a year later. Pay may not fall. Not yet. The amendment goes to promulgation by Congress, and Senate President Davi Alcolumbre has indicated that could happen next week. Lula made ending 6×1 a central promise, and Flávio Bolsonaro said on 13 October that he would vote for it. With both candidates saying yes, the reform is less likely to decide the race. US companies with Brazilian staff will need to plan for a shorter week and more rest days. Investors in New York-listed Brazilian shares will watch for effects on labour costs. Sources: Agência Senado (14 October); Gazeta do Povo; Tribuna do Norte; O Tempo; Brasil de Fato (13 October); Polymarket; Kalshi (all accessed 15 October 2026).What Prediction Markets Say
What Is Not Known
What Comes Next
Frequently Asked Questions
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This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief