Brasília, March 10, 2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Brazil ratified the International Labor Organization's (ILO) Convention 171, which prescribes greater protection for people who work at night. The decree, signed on Monday (8), by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, regulates the activities of night-shift workers, especially in the period of pregnancy, and extends these workers' health protection.

According to the deputy secretary of Labor, in the Ministry of Labor and Employment, Marco Antônio de Oliveira, in the medium-run this measure should improve the life of people who work at night. "The improvements will not be perceived overnight," he explained. (DAS)