The Senate of the Republic approved in general and particular the reform to article 123 of the Constitution to reduce the workday to 40 hours, in a gradual process that will not be completed until the year 2030. The initiative will now go to the Chamber of Deputies for discussion and voting. In general, the proposal was unanimously approved with 121 votes in favor, while in particular, 103 votes were cast in favor of the initiative and 15 against. The reform approved by the Upper Chamber does not include two mandatory rest days and, instead, increases overtime hours. Similarly, the reduction of the workday will be implemented through a gradual five-year scheme: - 2026: 48 hours - 2027: 46 hours - 2028: 44 hours - 2029: 42 hours - 2030: 40 hours. During 'Aristegui en Vivo,' Deputy Patricia Mercado opposed the long time it will take to reach the 40-hour workweek, as well as the fact that two rest days are not included. Mercado stated that a 2-year transition would be sufficient and emphasized that maintaining only one day off limits the reconciliation between personal and professional life. She also warned of a possible 'simulation' effect if the reduction is compensated with more overtime, by recalling the asymmetrical relationship between employer and worker. In the initiative, overtime hours increase from 9 to 12 per week, which has also been criticized by labor organizations. The labor sector warned in a bulletin that the possibility of establishing combined workdays of up to 12 hours a day opens the door to the normalization of extended hours contrary to the spirit of the reform. Likewise, they emphasized that the increased use of overtime could increase the fiscal and social security burden, which would ultimately reduce the net income for additional hours and affect the global amount of the Profit Sharing for Workers.
