Lula celebrates the short week, a 'historic achievement for millions of workers'

(See 'Brazil, Senate approves Lula's proposal...' at 03:22) The outgoing Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, candidate for re-election in the run-off on 25 October, celebrated the approval of the short working week which took place last night by the Senate of Brasilia.

"Today is a day to celebrate a historic achievement for millions of workers", wrote Lula on "Those who work so hard to build Brazil also deserve to have time to live," added the former trade unionist.

The newly approved proposal - which became the subject of heated debate in the electoral campaign - also received the support of the other presidential candidate, Flavio Bolsonaro, who, while specifying that he had reservations, stated that he had voted "in line with the will of the majority of Brazilian workers". According to the right-wing senator "the government will have to bear the burden, given that entrepreneurs are suffocated and risk bankruptcy"