Federal deputy Pastor Sargento Isidório stated that the end of the 6×1 scale will give workers “time to have sex in peace”. The statement was made during the analysis of the Proposed Constitutional Amendment (PEC) that reduces the weekly working hours, on the night of Wednesday, May 27, in the Chamber of Deputies. The PEC, which aims to reduce the maximum working hours from 44 to 40 hours per week and establish two days of rest per week, was approved by the special commission of the Chamber with 34 votes in favor and four against. To be approved, the proposal needs at least 308 favorable votes in the plenary, in two rounds of voting.
The 6×1 scale is a model in which the worker has only one weekly rest. The PEC provides that the change will occur gradually, over a period of 14 months. The first two hours of reduction would be applied 60 days after the promulgation of the PEC, while the other two would take effect one year later. Deputy Pastor Sargento Isidório argued that the change improves the quality of life of workers and strengthens family coexistence. He also compared the current work routine to slavery, stating that “we are not slaves, workers and female workers are not slaves. They are human beings, they have dignity”. The proposal is a priority for the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and aims to improve working and living conditions for workers.
The discussion on the PEC was stalled and delayed by one week due to a lack of agreement on the transition. The agreement was reached at the beginning of the week between the leader of the Liberal Party, Sóstenes Cavalcante, and President Lula. Among the agreed points are the total transition of 14 months and exceptions, such as those who earn more than R$ 22 thousand. The leader of the Liberal Party had said that the bench will start defending the 4×3 scale. The Chamber’s leadership intended to approve the text without alteration in the commission, in order to avoid noise.
The PEC also established that one of the days of rest will preferably be on Sundays. Seven detachments (requests for separate analysis of specific sections of Leo Prates’ report) were presented, but six were withdrawn by the authors after negotiation. One highlight from the Liberal Party is under analysis, on the 60-day transition. The proposal aims to improve working and living conditions for workers, and its impact can be felt in various areas, including the economy and health.
