Brazil: the fight against slave labor could become weaker after Congress adopts a 15-year-old text

On June 5, the Brazilian Congress promulgated constitutional amendment No.  81 on slave labor, which the Senate had unanimously voted a few days earlier.  Shifted back and forth between the two Houses of Parliament, the text provides for the expropriation of owners employing workers under such conditions.  However, its implementation remains hypothetical.  To get the support of rural Senators and make sure that this emblematic text would be signed before the World Cup, the definition of slave labor was sent back to another text and could be weaker.
Enjoy this article for free while you’re in your trial period
You have access to our content for 1 month.

It’s a 15-year-old text against slavery that the Congress promulgated on Thursday, June 5, at a formal meeting. 9 days earlier (May 27), the Senate finally unanimously voted the famous draft constitutional amendment on slave labor, known as “PEC 57A.”

The 1999 text provides for the expropriation of land and real estate goods for the purpose of agrarian or popular housing reforms where there are slave labor practices – in which case the owners receive no compensation. Until now, article 243 of

Do you have information to share with us?
What you absolutely must read this week
The essential content of the week selected by the editorial team.
See all
Portugal: open consultation on the transposition of the Pay Transparency Directive
The news. On 5 August 2026, the Portuguese government published a document proposing a draft text to transpose the EU Pay Transparency Directive as the basis for a public consultation open until...
EU: the Commission will set up an Expert Group on the impact of AI in the world of work
The news. On 22 July 2026, the European Commission published a progress report on the EU-27’s achievements regarding the objectives of the European Pillar of Social Rights, reinforced by the...
Belgium: toward an additional five days of leave following the birth of a child
The news. On 18 July, the Belgian federal government approved a draft bill introducing an additional five days of leave following the birth of a child. This entitlement would be added to existing...
Germany: a national action plan to strengthen collective bargaining
The news. On 22 July, the German federal government unveiled a national action plan to promote collective bargaining in response to the requirements of the EU minimum wage directive. The directive...