Skip to content

Government & PolicyDeveloping

Brazil's Congress approves cap of 40-hour working week before October runoff

By

Coverage spectrum

Covered by 5 outlets, mostly center (60%).

5 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Man in straw hat reaches toward a crowd of supporters holding phones and Brazilian flags at a rally.
Image via BloombergHow images are chosenReport this image

Brazil's Congress approved a constitutional amendment that sets a 40-hour maximum for the working week and ends six-day weeks, ahead of the October 25 presidential runoff between Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Flavio Bolsonaro. The Guardian and the Financial Times report the vote, and Deutsche Welle reports the change cuts the week from 44 hours. Bloomberg and Deutsche Welle say pay stays the same. The Guardian says the change could affect up to 30 million workers, while Deutsche Welle cites government figures of more than 37 million. Deutsche Welle reports that Lula is expected to sign it into law next week.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Brazil's Congress approved a constitutional amendment shortening the working week to a maximum of 40 hours.

    Across the spectrumReported byLeft2Center2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Bloomberg, The Guardian
    Center
    Financial Times, Deutsche Welle

  2. The amendment bans six-day working weeks.

    Reported byLeft1Center2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Guardian
    Center
    Financial Times, Deutsche Welle

  3. The change does not cut pay.

    Reported byLeft1Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Bloomberg
    Center
    Deutsche Welle

  4. The vote comes before the October 25 presidential runoff between Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro.

    Across the spectrumReported byLeft2Center2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Bloomberg, The Guardian
    Center
    Financial Times, Deutsche Welle

  5. Estimates of affected workers differ: up to 30 million, or more than 37 million according to the government.

    Reported byLeft1Center1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Guardian
    Center
    Deutsche Welle
Show 2 more pointsShow fewer points

  1. Lula is expected to sign the amendment into law next week.

    One outletDeutsche Welle· Center

  2. Lula was reported as trailing in the race.

    One outletBloomberg· Left

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • The number of workers the amendment affects.

    The Guardian says it could affect up to 30 million workers. Deutsche Welle cites government figures of more than 37 million.

How each side tells it

Compare views

All sides report Brazil's Congress approved an amendment cutting the workweek to 40 hours without a pay cut before the October 25 runoff. Left outlets lead with the win for Lula and his trailing position, while center outlets stress it as his signature policy and an edge over Flavio Bolsonaro.

  • the left

    2 outlets

    Leads with the vote as a political win or lifeline for Lula before the runoff, stressing his position against his rival.

    Brazil cuts work week to 40 hours in win for Lula ahead of runoff
    The GuardianLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    3 outlets

    Also leads with the vote as a win for Lula ahead of the runoff, with the Financial Times calling it his signature policy.

    Brazil abolishes six-day workweek in win for Lula
    Financial TimesCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    No coverage yet

    No right-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left2

    so-calledattempt to overturn

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right

    Has not covered this story.

In the outlets’ own words

  • Delegitimizing label

    so-calledMore neutral: (omit)

    Sneer quotes in word form.

    …in two rounds of votes, granting final passage to a proposal that will end the so-called “6x1” work schedule under which some 16 million Brazilians work six days a week with…

    Used byBloomberg (Left)

  • Loaded verb

    attempt to overturnMore neutral: ahead of a runoff in which his opponent led the first round

    Describing the amendment as an attempt to overturn the lead assigns a political motive to Lula that the article does not document.

    In an attempt to overturn the first-round lead secured by his opponent, far-right senator Flávio…

    Used byThe Guardian (Left)

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

2 outlets

Leads with

  • political win for Lula
  • lifeline for a trailing candidate
  • up to 30 million workers

Leaves out

  • Lula expected to sign the law next week

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines
  • The GuardianLeft

    Brazil cuts work week to 40 hours in win for Lula ahead of runoff

    Congress approves constitutional amendment that bans six-day workweeks, which could effect up to 30 million Brazil’s congress has approved a constitutional amendment to shorten the working week to a maximum of 40 hours, a move that could affect 30 million workers and that will …

    Read at The Guardian (opens in a new tab)
  • BloombergLeft

    Brazil Election: Senate Approves Bill to Shorten Workweek in Boost to Lula

    Brazil’s Senate approved legislation to shorten the workweek without reducing pay, handing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva a potential lifeline days ahead of an election he’s trailing.

    Read at Bloomberg (opens in a new tab)

From the center

3 outlets

Leads with

  • Lula's signature policy
  • edge over Flavio Bolsonaro
  • ahead of the runoff

Leaves out

  • Lula trailing in the race

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 3 headlines from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

0 outlets

No right-leaning outlet that Mantle follows has covered this story yet. That absence is part of the picture.

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    First to report

    Bloomberg, Oct 14, 9:20 PM EDT

  • Center

    1 hr 41 min later

    Its first report, Oct 14, 11:01 PM EDT

  • Right

    No report yet

    From the outlets Mantle follows

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. BloombergLeftOct 14, 9:20 PM EDT
  2. The GuardianLeftOct 14, 10:45 PM EDT
  3. Financial TimesCenterOct 14, 11:01 PM EDT
  4. Deutsche WelleCenterOct 14, 11:29 PM EDT
  5. BBC NewsCenterOct 15, 6:05 AM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

Read next

Help someone else find the truth beneath the surface

Most people see one side of a story. Share this one, so they can see how every side is telling it and decide for themselves.

Email it

Seen a mistake? Tell us what is wrong with this page