Lula Pushes End of 6x1 Work Schedule as Senate Keeps PEC on Hold

Overview

• President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva renewed his public call to end the 6x1 schedule in a social-media post on Wednesday, July 8, saying the change would improve workers’ quality of life.
• The constitutional amendment is stalled in the Senate and awaiting review by the Constitution and Justice Commission (CCJ), where it has seen no progress since late May.
• The proposal would cut the statutory workweek from 44 to 40 hours and guarantee two days off each week, a change the president says could directly affect about 37–38 million Brazilians.
• Tensions between the Planalto and Senate President Davi Alcolumbre, which worsened after the rejection of Jorge Messias’s Supreme Court nomination, have complicated scheduling and prompted public trade of ultimatums and refusals to be pressured.
• An approaching congressional recess from July 18–31 and a crowded calendar make a vote before the October 4 election unlikely, leaving the measure dependent on CCJ timing and Senate agenda decisions.