Automatically translated by AI.

By Verónica O’Kelly

On October 14, the Senate approved, in two votes, the constitutional amendment (PEC) that ends the 6×1 work schedule and provides for a reduction of the workweek to 40 hours, without a pay cut. This is a historic victory for the Brazilian working class! This victory should be celebrated, but it also teaches us an important lesson: it is through struggle that we win our rights and transform our lives. Struggle always pays off!

The protest secured this right

Like all our achievements, our rights were not gifts from governments, lawmakers, or employers. They were won through the power of the class struggle. The class struggle moves mountains, and we must never forget that!

Although political parties, politicians, and even bureaucratized union leaders may try to portray themselves as the architects of this victory, it was the mobilization of the working class that put a historic demand on the agenda: reducing the workweek without cutting wages.

This struggle is historic because capitalism operates according to a constant logic: the bosses, or the bourgeoisie, seek to intensify the exploitation of labor in order to increase their profits. A portion of the value produced by workers is appropriated by capitalists, and the working class fights against that exploitation.

The achievement of ending the 6×1 work schedule joins other historic victories, such as the eight-hour workday, the minimum wage, paid vacation, and the year-end bonus (13th month’s salary). None of these were gifts from the capitalists—whether they be employers or politicians who defend their interests. All were the result of major struggles, protests, and the organization of workers.

But no achievement is guaranteed to last forever. The bourgeoisie and its governments constantly seek to limit or take away rights in order to preserve their profits. Successive labor and social security reforms demonstrate how rights won through great struggles can be attacked and undermined.

That’s why we can’t just sit idly by! Our victory against the 6×1 scale shows that our strength is immense when we organize and fight for our goals. We are the ones who move the world, because we are the ones who produce wealth. Everything belongs to those who produce it all!

The right wing and the Bolsonarists were forced to vote in favor

The momentum behind this mobilization was so strong that even Flávio Bolsonaro and sectors of the right and far right voted in favor of the constitutional amendment proposal (PEC). That does not mean they have abandoned their interests or their differences with the workers’ long-standing demands. It means that the social pressure surrounding this demand became impossible to ignore.

In the midst of an election campaign, no political faction wants to be seen publicly opposing a demand that has gained popular support and is mobilizing millions of workers. Working-class youth were at the forefront of this struggle, expressing the determination of a generation that refuses to spend its entire life working, with no time to rest, study, spend time with family, or enjoy life.

The vote showed that when our class takes action, our enemies are forced to respond to pressure from the streets. It was not the parliamentarians’ own initiative that moved this demand forward: it was the power of a mobilization that turned a long-standing demand into an issue they could no longer ignore.

Now we need to stay mobilized: defend this victory and fight for more!

There are many groups interested in halting our mobilization. Flávio Bolsonaro, the Bolsonarists, and the traditional right are the ones most interested in stopping and defeating us so they can advance their reactionary offensive against the working-class majority. But Lula, the PT, and the liberal left are also seeking to channel popular discontent toward trust in institutions, elections, and Parliament, fostering confidence in institutional action as a means of guaranteeing our rights.

The problem is that, without independent pressure and mobilization, institutions remain subject to the power dynamics of a capitalist society. That is why we cannot fall for the siren songs of class conciliation or leave decisions about our future in the hands of others.

The victory in reducing the workweek reaffirms a fundamental lesson: it is not enough to elect representatives or wait for governments to solve our problems. We need to organize, take to the streets, and keep up the mobilization to win the rights we still lack.

We want more time to live, decent wages, jobs, housing, and quality public health care and education. We want a life that isn’t consumed by work and the daily struggle for survival. And we know that, to make progress on these demands, we will have to stand up to the interests of big business and those who govern in their interest.

In the runoff election, let’s defeat Flávio, vote for Lula, and keep fighting for all our rights!

It is essential to defeat Flávio Bolsonaro at the polls and prevent the far-right agenda from gaining ground. But this task must not lead to the demobilization of workers or the abandonment of our demands.

The movement that has emerged and continues to grow throughout Brazil demonstrates that there is a social force capable of standing up to the far right and its authoritarian agenda. That force must remain in the streets, politically independent and self-organized.

The electoral contest also poses a challenge for Lula and the PT: speeches and promises alone are not enough. To address the real needs of the working class and the popular majority, concrete measures are needed that break with neoliberal policies, challenge the privileges of big capitalists, and meet the demands of those who live off their own labor.

The fight against the 6×1 fare schedule shows that when we organize and take to the streets, we can win rights and transform our lives. But to move forward, we need to keep this mobilized force going beyond the elections and build a political alternative capable of confronting capitalism and fighting for a society free from exploitation.

That’s why I invite you to take this step with us: building the revolution is urgent! Join us in the struggle!