El PRI insta a aprobar la jornada laboral de 40 horas en México

Rubén Moreira, coordinator of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) caucus in the Chamber of Deputies, urged the presidency of this legislative body to discuss the labor reform as soon as possible, in order to reduce the working hours from 48 to 40 per week.

In a statement, Moreira Valdez requested Marcela Guerra, president of the Directiva de San Lázaro and also a member of PRI, to publish the draft of the reform in the Gaceta Parlamentaria so that it can be included in the agenda of the next ordinary session and, thus, be subject to discussion and voting.

The PRI member stated that the issue of the working hours should be a priority for the Chamber, as it has already gone through open forums and working groups where academics, legislators, members of the federal government, representatives of the private sector, and analysts from different fields (such as sociologists, labor lawyers, unionists, psychologists, etc.) participated. Therefore, he called on members of the National Regeneration Movement (Morena) to vote in favor of this reform.

Discussion on the 40-hour workweek

The PRI deputy pointed out that the implementation of the reduced workweek can be done gradually, as in other countries. He also mentioned that, according to the discussions established in the legislative field, fiscal incentives can be promoted for companies that may be affected by the reduction of their workforce, in order to safeguard their economic solvency.

He recalled that, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Mexico is one of the countries with the longest working hours in the world, surpassing nations such as South Korea, Russia, or Greece. The organization has measured that Mexicans work around 2,140 hours annually, while in Spain it is 1,690 or 1,910 in Chile.

Likewise, the International Labor Organization (ILO) has been promoting since the 1960s that the workweek should not exceed 40 hours and that, in order to achieve this, countries with longer working hours must implement mechanisms that encourage entrepreneurs to see this reduction as a medium and long-term advantage.

In addition, if the initiative is approved, it would promote better living conditions for Mexican workers, as these eight hours of weekly rest would translate into one more day off, which could be used for recreation, health, family bonding, and leisure activities.

What does the 40-hour workweek reform consist of?

Since October 2022, Susana Prieto, a deputy for Morena, presented an initiative to reduce the workweek from 48 to 40 hours in the Constitution of the United Mexican States (CPEUM). By April 2023, this initiative was approved and established that for every five days of work, with eight-hour shifts, at least two days of rest per week are required.

However, the National Action Party (PAN), the only political force that did not vote in favor of the labor reform, urged for a discussion with the private sector. As a result, the reform did not reach the Plenary for voting, but the discussion was expanded, with specialists, legislators, unionists, and academics agreeing that the workweek should be reduced.

Subsequently, the Executive Branch requested to intervene in the discussion and, in collaboration with the Legislative Branch, organized additional working groups to debate the implementation of the reform. As a result, the approval of the workweek reduction has been delayed for almost a year, which is why PRI in San Lázaro has urged for its approval.