Senate Panel Backs 36-Hour Week to End 6x1 as Government Shifts to Support PEC

Overview

• The CCJ approved a constitutional amendment that phases the weekly limit down to 36 hours, starting at 40 hours in the first year after enactment and cutting one hour per year, with no salary reduction.
• The text sets work at up to eight hours per day across a maximum of five days per week and guarantees two consecutive paid rest days, preferably on Saturdays and Sundays.
• The vote was added extra to the agenda and held symbolically, prompting protests from Senator Eduardo Girão, who criticized the procedure and vowed to press the issue on the floor.
• After the committee approval, the Lula administration said it will prioritize the Senate route, with Minister Guilherme Boulos taking a lead role in negotiations to move the measure to a plenary vote.
• Parallel efforts continue in the Chamber, where a Leo Prates proposal would replace 6x1 with a 5x2 schedule and cap at 40 hours starting in 2028, as unions and a mass petition push for change and business groups warn of higher costs.