The Congress of Mexico approved, this Tuesday (24), the gradual reduction of the working day from 48 hours to 40 hours per week.
The reduction will be implemented by 2030. However, there was no ban on the 6×1 scale, the two days of rest did not pass through the Mexican congress.
The Chamber of Deputies approved the basic text of the project with unanimous support from the 469 parliamentarians present in the House – which has 500 seats.
Working hours in Latin America
Another country that is in the process of reducing working hours is Chile, which, in 2024, approved reducing working hours from 48 to 40 hours per week, but also in a gradual process until 2028.
Since 2021, Colombia has also been reducing its working hours from 48 hours to 42 hours per week. Even with the reduction in working hours, the 5×2 scale was not implemented in any of these countries.
In Brazil there are 44 hours throughout the week on a 6×1 scale. And the problem with the debate on reducing working hours is that unlike other countries, we chose exactly an election year to discuss the issue.
The only country in Latin America that has a working regime of eight hours a day, five days a week is Ecuador. The model was adopted in 1980 and is still in force today (46 years ago).
Working hours in Europe
In France, for example, the working day is 35 hours per week and can reach 48 hours per week, but the difference is that the workload is paid as overtime. However, there is no obligation to take 2 days off. Sectors such as hotels, restaurants, commerce, hospitals and tourism generally work on a 6×1 scale. What is mandatory in the country is to have 24 hours of rest per week.
Working hours in Asia
In Asia, India is a country that is undergoing accelerated development and there the working day is 48 hours on a 6×1 scale and China maintains 44 hours a week and can also work on a 6×1 scale.
Developed countries want to attract investment, create jobs, grow economically and then benefit the entire population, that is, get rich first and then – in theory – distribute the wealth.
