A constitutional amendment that would reduce Brazil’s maximum work week from 44 to 40 hours without a corresponding salary cut is advancing quickly through the National Congress, triggering a significant cost alert for labor-intensive sectors in the country. The proposed amendment, which is strongly backed by the Workers’ Party (PT) and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has already passed the lower house and was recently approved by a key Senate committee, setting it up for a final vote in the full Senate. If approved, the measure will effectively end the common "6x1" work schedule—six days of work followed by one day of rest—and impose an immediate 10% increase in the hourly cost of labor for nearly one-third of Brazil's formally employed workers.