Senator Omar Aziz (PSD‑AM), the rapporteur of a proposed constitutional amendment (PEC) to abolish Brazil’s 6x1 work schedule, told O Globo that the Senate must approve the measure in the coming week, warning that any politician who opposes it would be committing “political suicide.”
The 6x1 schedule—six workdays followed by one day off—is common in Brazil’s retail and service sectors and amounts to a 44‑hour weekly workload. The PEC, already passed by the Chamber of Deputies in May, would reduce the standard workweek to 40 hours over a one‑year transition period. After the amendment’s promulgation, the two weekly days off would be compensated as 60 days of paid leave. Workers earning more than R$ 21,100 per month would be exempt from the hour cap.
Aziz said the proposal enjoys strong electoral appeal because it directly benefits Brazilian workers, making it difficult for legislators to vote against it ahead of the October municipal elections. “Who is going to be against this? All Brazilian workers are waiting for this, and someone will appear saying they are against it? That would be suicide,” he said, adding that even bolsonarist lawmakers, who often criticize the measure, would struggle to justify delaying the vote.
The initiative had stalled in the Senate amid a rift between President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senate President Davi Alcolumbre (União‑AP). The two leaders reconciled after the Senate’s earlier rejection of Lula’s nominee for Attorney General, Jorge Messias, to the Supreme Federal Court. Last week, the PEC was forwarded to the Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ), and Aziz was appointed its rapporteur.
Aziz plans to release his report on Thursday and will not alter the text approved by the Chamber. He expects the CCJ to debate the opinion on the following Wednesday, with a plenary vote to follow later in the week. He characterized the upcoming week as the “last concentrated effort” before the October elections, implying that legislative leaders want to conclude pending matters before the campaign intensifies.
As a single‑source report based on O Globo’s coverage, the article attributes all statements to Senator Aziz and the outlet’s reporting. No additional sources were consulted.