The Consolidation of Labor Laws (CLT) gathers the norms that regulate the interaction between employers and employees in Brazil, defining essential rights and rules for millions of workers, such as working hour limits, vacation, overtime pay, and dismissal procedures.
In this context, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) advocates for the modernization of legislation to combat labor precarization and strengthen the role of unions. Conversely, Flávio Bolsonaro (PL) suggests reducing the cost of formal hiring and increasing flexibility in employer-employee relations.
Initially, reducing working hours was part of Lula's proposals. Although Flávio labeled this change as 'opportunistic,' he later supported the amendment, claiming to have listened to public opinion. However, the PL plans to present an alternative in 2027 if Flávio is elected president, according to Sóstenes Cavalcante (PL-RJ).
A suggestion developed by Senator Rogério Marinho (PL-RN) envisions a hiring format where remuneration is calculated proportionally to the hours worked. Despite this, Flávio Bolsonaro denied in an interview with TV Globo that this proposal aimed to change the 6x1 shift regime.
What Lula Proposes
In his government plan, Lula proposes updating labor legislation to modify provisions considered detrimental to workers and that 'induce the precarization of working conditions.' However, the document does not specify which changes will be implemented.
Other initiatives include combating fraud in outsourcing and in hiring professionals as Legal Entities (PJ) when this model serves to hide an employment relationship and evade labor and social security obligations. Lula also aims to reestablish union assistance during the homologation of contract terminations, reversing a change from the 2017 labor reform.
Additionally, the plan foresees the regulation of work on digital platforms, establishing clear guidelines on labor relations, remuneration, conditions, and labor and social security rights. The document also focuses on algorithm transparency and professional retraining and insertion policies for sectors impacted by technology.
Finally, the president advocates for strengthening unions and expanding the space for collective bargaining, proposing the update of the union representation system and the regulation of this negotiation in the public sector. In public statements, Lula has defended the collective contract as a means to debate issues such as working hours, salary adjustments, and other rights, with unions representing the workers.
What Flávio Bolsonaro Proposes
Flávio Bolsonaro argues that the CLT, dating back to 1943, is obsolete because it did not contemplate technologies such as the internet, home office, and delivery and ride-sharing apps. He maintains that Brazil has evolved and requires a more contemporary update that reflects Brazilian reality.
His government plan includes reducing the cost of formal hiring, making working conditions more flexible, and increasing direct negotiation between employees and employers. One of the proposed actions is the gradual reduction of formal labor costs, creating contracts with lower costs for companies that hire young people aged 18 to 24 seeking their first job or people aged 50 or older who have been unemployed for at least 12 months. However, the plan does not detail the charges to be reduced, the duration of the incentives, or the potential number of positions.
The candidate also supports the principle of the 'negotiated over the legislated,' allowing agreements between companies and workers to establish conditions different from the law, while respecting legal limits. According to the plan, this would bring greater freedom in defining working hours and other labor conditions.
Another proposal advocated by Flávio is enabling workers to choose between the traditional CLT regime or a payment model based on hours actually worked. This idea, presented by Senator Rogério Marinho in PEC 12/2026, would allow individual contracts to supersede collective agreements negotiated with unions. In this modality, remuneration and benefits such as vacation, 13th salary, and FGTS would be proportional to the hours worked.
The document also criticizes union activity and defends preserving job opportunities via applications. Regarding app workers, although the plan supports maintaining income and work opportunities while ensuring social and social security protection, it does not specify what legal bond would be adopted for these categories.