The end of the six-day workweek followed by one day off (6x1) is the main cause championed by labor unions at decentralized demonstrations held across Brazil on Friday, May 1, Labor Day. The measure is seen as essential to ensuring quality of life and a better work–life balance.

Currently, several proposals on this topic are pending in Congress. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has sent a bill to the Legislature with constitutional urgency to end the 6x1 schedule and reduce the workweek from 44 to 40 hours.

Rallies

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In São Paulo, the Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT) has scheduled political, cultural, and community service activities under the slogan “Our struggle transforms lives.”

The goal is to expand dialogue with the public and strengthen the organization of the working class in local communities. At regional headquarters, rallies will be organized in partnership with local unions. The initiative seeks to bring programs that combine civic engagement, culture, and social mobilization to neighborhoods and municipalities.

Among the issues deemed urgent by CUT for this May Day are the reduction of the workweek without a pay cut, the fight against femicide, the strengthening of collective bargaining as a fundamental tool to ensure concrete improvements in working conditions, and the guarantee of rights for public servants, among others.

For the Brazilian Workers’ Central (CTB), “this year’s May 1st goes beyond a symbolic celebration and serves as a platform for social pressure to bring about concrete changes. Among the issues that should be highlighted are the fight against job insecurity, the need for public policies that strengthen the economy, and the defense of basic rights that guarantee dignity for the working population.”

The General Workers’ Union (UGT) will launch the 12th edition of Expo Paulista, in celebration of Labor Day, on Paulista Avenue. The exhibition will feature 30 panels on the theme “This Is an Achievement: Struggles and Victories of the Brazilian Worker,” created by Brazilian fashion designer Ronaldo Fraga.

Considered the largest open-air exhibition in Latin America, the panels will be on display until May 31, with an expected daily attendance of 1.5 million people.

The exhibition offers a visual reflection on the world of work, its transformations, and the challenges that shape the history of the Brazilian worker.

With activities also scheduled in various cities across the state of São Paulo, the Central of Brazilian Trade Unions (CSB) says they raise greater awareness of the movement’s demands and allow for direct contact with workers, thereby expanding grassroots mobilization.

Brazil’s Ministry of Health expects to administer more than 89,000 vaccine doses across 650 indigenous villages from April 25 to May 25, 2026. During this period, the 2026 Indigenous Peoples’ Vaccination Month (MVPI) will take place, with the goal of expanding access to immunization in indigenous territories, especially in hard-to-reach areas. Last year, over 70,000 doses were administered, reaching 57,000 indigenous people.

The 2026 campaign was announced Monday (Apr. 13) by the Secretary of Indigenous Health, Lucinha Tremembé, in Barão do Rio Branco village, located in Mâncio Lima, Acre state. Three ethnic groups - Puyanawa, Nukini, and Nawa - live in the municipality, totaling about 2,000 indigenous people.

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According to the secretary, launching the campaign in a territory with longstanding access challenges is a strategic and necessary decision.

“Our goal is to expand vaccination in areas with low coverage, ensuring that information is communicated clearly and respectfully and that the population understands the importance of immunization for individual and collective protection,” said Tremembé.

During Vaccination Month, all 19 vaccines included in the National Immunization Schedule, including the COVID-19 vaccine, will be offered.

The initiative has been held since 2010 and is part of the 24th Vaccination Week in the Americas and the 15th World Immunization Week, which begin on April 25 and run through May 2.

Coordinated by the Secretariat of Indigenous Health (SESAI), the campaign strengthens protection against vaccine-preventable diseases and helps reinforce primary care through the active search for indigenous people who have not yet been vaccinated.