Original article: Histórico en México: Senado aprueba 121-0 la reforma para la semana laboral de 40 horas
After more than a century of a 48-hour workweek, Mexico has taken a significant step that many workers have long awaited. On Thursday, the Senate unanimously approved a constitutional reform that will gradually establish a 40-hour workweek. The discussion lasted nearly six hours, and the bill advanced without changes, now awaiting action from the Chamber of Deputies to continue the constitutional process.
The initiative, driven by President Claudia Sheinbaum, received 121 votes in favor and none against, although the debate was not free of political tension. Opposition parties (PAN and PRI) supported the vote but criticized the gradual implementation, insisting that the reduction should take effect immediately and labeling the progress as inadequate. In this vein, PRI member Carolina Viggiano claimed it was “a simulation.”
40-Hour Workweek: Gradual Implementation Until 2030
Members of Morena and the PT defended an “orderly” implementation. As explained from the podium, the aim is to execute the reduction in stages to avoid “suffocating” the national economy. The timetable outlined in the transitional provisions sets that in 2026 the workweek will remain at 48 hours; in 2027 it will drop to 46; in 2028 to 44; in 2029 to 42; and by 2030 the 40-hour week will be fully in effect.
Senator Enrique Inzunza stated that the initiative is “not isolated or temporary,” linking it to the consolidation of the “Constitutional State of Well-being.” During the debate, a historical warning from deputy Heriberto Jara (1916) was recalled, questioning workdays of “12, 14, or 16 hours daily.”
«Historic Reform»
The President of the Constitutional Points Commission, Óscar Cantón Zetina, described it as a “historic reform,” asserting that it contributes to the “labor spring” of the Fourth Transformation (4T). Conversely, the opposition reiterated its complaints regarding the pace of implementation.
Although amendments were proposed to ensure two days of rest, none succeeded, leaving the text unchanged. Another provision establishes a 90-day period from the enactment to adjust the Federal Labor Law. Meanwhile, Morena coordinator Ignacio Mier stated that the change will directly benefit approximately 13.5 million workers, in addition to the 10 million who already have a 40-hour workweek.
Overall, the 40-hour workweek has taken its first significant institutional leap. Now, the focus shifts to the Deputies.
