The Chamber of Deputies analyzes on the night of this Wednesday, the 27th of May, the Proposed Constitutional Amendment (PEC) that aims to end the 6×1 work scale, in which the worker has only one day off a week. The PEC, which has already been approved by a special commission with 34 votes in favor and 4 against, seeks to reduce the weekly working hours from 44 to 40 hours and guarantee two days off, one of which preferably on Sundays. To be approved, the proposal needs 308 votes, equivalent to three-fifths of the deputies, and will still go through two rounds of voting on this Wednesday.
Negotiations and Discussions
The discussion around the PEC was intense, with negotiations that extended until the beginning of the week. The government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva considers this proposal a priority, especially in an electoral year. One of the points of disagreement was the transition period, which was set at 14 months. During this period, working hours will be gradually reduced: two hours will be adopted 60 days after the promulgation of the PEC, and the other two a year later. In addition, the proposal foresees exceptions for those who earn more than R$ 22,000, who will not be subject to the new scale and journey rules, provided they do not exceed the limit of 40 hours per week. This exception, however, does not apply to public employees and state-owned companies.
The leader of the Liberal Party, deputy Sóstenes Cavalcante, expressed his concern with the transition, defending that it should be immediate. He also mentioned that the bench will start defending the 4×3 scale. The PEC also received seven highlights, requests for separate analysis of specific sections of the report, but six of them were withdrawn after negotiations. The expectation is that the proposal will be voted on still tonight, after a discussion process that was delayed by a week due to the lack of agreement on the transition.
Impact and Expectations
The implementation of the PEC, if approved, will bring significant changes to the work routine of millions of Brazilians. The reduction of working hours and the guarantee of two days off per week can positively impact the health and quality of life of workers. However, the economic effects and the adaptation of companies to these new rules will still need to be observed. The proposal now goes to the voting rounds, and its approval can mean an advance in discussions about workers’ rights and the reduction of working hours in Brazil.
