The president of the Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT), Sergio Nobre, stated this Tuesday (12) that the story that the country could “break” if it reduces the 6×1 scale – of six days of work and one day off – to the 4×3 is a “nonsense”, and this change will only be possible if there is popular pressure.
The discussion about reducing the working day from four working days to three days off with constitutional provision gained momentum since the weekend due to a mobilization on social media. The proposal was presented in May by federal deputy Erika Hilton (PSOL-SP), but was recovered by the left amid the discussion of spending cuts by the government.
“The conditions exist. This story that Brazil is going to fail is nonsense. In fact, productivity improved in countries that reduced their workload, which was good for companies. The big challenge is popular pressure. If there isn’t one, it won’t pass in Congress,” he said in an interview with Folha de S. Paulo.
Nobre stated that the CUT has been defending this reduction since it was founded in 1983, and that the conditions are now more difficult. According to him, approval in Congress faces obstacles due to the predominance of business interests.
He also pointed out that productivity gains in other countries prove that the measure can bring positive results for both workers and the business sector.
The PEC suggests the end of this scale, replacing it with a 36-hour week spread over four days. The project already has the support of more than 130 parliamentarians, but still needs 171 signatures to advance in the Chamber of Deputies.
Regarding this proposal, Nobre argued that the distribution of working days and hours must be negotiated directly between companies and workers, through collective agreements, a view that is shared by Minister Luiz Marinho, of Labor and Employment.
“It is not the role of the law to regulate work shifts, because it is not possible, as there are many specificities,” he said, citing examples such as oil workers and hospital employees.
For him, the role of legislation must be to establish a maximum limit on hours, while the details of how this load is distributed must be resolved in collective agreements, ensuring both the maintenance of jobs and balance in company operations.
Amid this scenario, Força Sindical, another workers’ organization, also spoke in favor of the proposal, emphasizing the importance of a broader discussion. In a note, the entity asked for greater clarity in Erika Hilton’s proposal, pointing out that the current text does not define a specific model to replace the 6×1 scheme.
“We have to expand the debate by modifying an already established model, without having a law that benefits workers. We remember that the initial design does not establish an exact model, leaving the new journey model vague”, stated the entity.
