Overview
- The Chamber of Deputies approved the constitutional amendment at the end of May to outlaw the 6×1 schedule, require two days off per week, and cut the statutory workweek from 44 to 40 hours without pay reductions.
- Senate leaders are set to meet this week to set the tramitation timetable, but Senate President Davi Alcolumbre has said the PEC must pass committees first, with the Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ) expected to take the lead.
- The Confederação das Associações Comerciais e Empresariais do Brasil published a public manifesto opposing the Chamber text and endorsing Senator Rogério Marinho’s alternative PEC that ties pay to hours and allows more flexible scheduling.
- Critics warn Marinho’s proposal could open the door to seven-day work stretches without guaranteed rest, and any change in the Senate would force the text back to the Chamber for final approval; full passage in the Senate requires three-fifths support (49 votes) in two rounds.
- The federal government is backing the Chamber measure as a political win ahead of reelection efforts, while business groups warn higher operating costs and reduced commission opportunities for sellers could raise consumer prices and reshape shift patterns for workers.