Senate Committee Approves Amendment to End 6x1 Work Schedule

Overview

• The Senate Constitution and Justice Commission approved the PEC on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, with relator Omar Aziz keeping the Chamber text and rejecting all 36 amendments.
• The amendment guarantees two paid days of weekly rest and cuts the legal workweek from 44 to 40 hours through a staged transition of 42 hours after 60 days and 40 hours after 12 months.
• The text bars salary reductions from the shorter week and allows collective agreements to set compensatory regimes that can average rest days within a month.
• Government leaders decided not to force a plenary vote because they lacked assurance of the three‑fifths majority needed in each of two rounds, so final approval is likely to be delayed until after the first election round in October.
• Opponents led by senators associated with the PL argued for hourly pay and broader negotiation freedom and used procedural tactics to shrink support and obstruct timing, while proponents say the change advances worker dignity and distributive justice.