The Minister for Institutional Relations (SRI) at the Office of the President, José Guimarães (PT-CE), stated that Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) and his allies are attempting to block progress towards ending the 6×1 shift pattern, one of the key labor issues currently under discussion in the National Congress. According to Guimarães, the opposition is avoiding public statements against the change for fear of losing electoral support among workers.
President Lula’s (PT) government has boosted its efforts to ensure that matters considered a priority are put to a vote during next week’s intensive legislative session. These include the reduction of the working week and the Constitutional Amendment Proposal (PEC) on Public Security.
According to Guimarães, organizational meetings have been held almost daily. The aim is to overcome the opposition’s attempts to obstruct the process and ensure that the proposals move forward before the electoral calendar begins to dominate the congressional agenda.
According to the governing party’s leader, Flávio Bolsonaro and lawmakers from his political group are working against the end of the 6×1 work schedule but are trying to avoid public statements of their opposition.
Guimarães believes the reason is electoral: openly taking a stance against the reduction in working hours could generate significant political fallout, given broad worker support for the issue.
The opposition’s public rhetoric is inconsistent with its behind-the-scenes maneuvering in Congress, the governing party’s leader argues.
Guimarães stated that the government is mobilized to defeat the resistance and ensure the vote proceeds. If the opposition manages to prevent the vote, he maintained, it will be making a “fool of itself.”
The Workers’ Party (PT) leader also suggested that any attempt to block the proposal could backfire on Flávio Bolsonaro, precisely because it would reveal which politicians are working against a change demanded by a large sector of Brazilian society.
The government-backed proposal advocates a 40-hour working week, with two days off and no reduction in pay, gradually replacing the current model, under which millions of Brazilians work six days and have just one day off.
The governing party leader also stated that, if obstructionist tactics prevent or delay the vote, the PT and its allies will make it clear to the public which members of Congress were responsible for blocking the proposal.
In the government’s view, the debate on ending the 6×1 schedule offers a clear distinction between two visions for the world of labor: on one hand, a push to reduce working hours and improve quality of life and, on the other, resistance to changing the current model.
The issue gained even more momentum after Lula began to champion it directly. The president maintains that workers need more time to rest, spend time with their families and enjoy life.
According to Guimarães, the government is also awaiting the presentation of Senator Omar Aziz’s report to the Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ). It is expected that the report will help speed up the legislative process and pave the way for a vote.
The proposal has already passed through the Chamber of Deputies and now depends on advancement in the Senate. The government hopes to conclude this stage next week.
These efforts follow Lula’s direct meeting with the speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Hugo Motta, and the president of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre, to discuss agenda items considered a priority for the country.
Lula has described ending the 6×1 work schedule as an issue “of great interest to Brazilian society” and has been stepping up his personal involvement in negotiations to make the change a reality.
On Thursday, the president returned to the subject on social media and stated that the measure will represent a historic transformation in the lives of Brazilians.
“The end of the 6×1 work schedule will be a historic victory for workers. It means more time to rest, care for one’s family and live life,” said Lula.
The statement reinforces the government’s intention to make the reduction in working hours one of its key social priorities.
For Guimarães, the attempt to block the vote could take a heavy political toll on Flávio Bolsonaro and his allies. Should the obstruction go ahead, the government intends to take the debate directly to the public and highlight who worked towards its approval and who acted to prevent a change that could mean more free time and a better quality of life for millions of Brazilian workers.
