The Minister of Labor, defends the priority given by the Lula government to the discussion on 2026 and assesses that it is possible to immediately reduce the working day from the current 44 hours to 40 hours per week, before starting a gradual reduction to 36 hours.
Last week, the president himself stated that the . In Congress, the president of the Chamber, (-PB), stated that the .
In Congress, there are two fronts advanced in this discussion: a project in the Chamber’s Labor Committee that provides for a 5×2 scale and a 40-hour work week and a PEC (proposed amendment to the Constitution) ready for consideration in the Senate plenary that provides for a maximum of 36 hours and two days of paid rest.
Marinho states that this is very clear. “The 6×1 scale is the cruelest on the face of the Earth, especially for women. And I believe that Brazil and the Brazilian economy are fully mature to review the country’s maximum working hours and, along with that, eliminate the 6×1 scale”, he states.
The minister argues that improving the quality of life of workers would have an impact on productivity and the work environment itself. “We are convinced of the importance of reducing working hours without reducing wages to improve the quality of the work relationship”, he states.
For Marinho, a drastic reduction from 44 hours to 36 hours would not be viable. “I, personally, as Minister of Labor, do not see the possibility of reducing it all at once to 36 hours. It would have a huge impact on the job market, on companies’ costs, to be absorbed all at once. It would have to be done gradually”, he argues.
On the other hand, he sees it possible to implement a four-hour weekly cut now. “In my view, if we immediately reduce work to 40 hours a week and enter into a study process to gradually reach 36 hours, the government has no restrictions in working on this process”, he says.
He advocates an understanding between workers and employers on the topic and also to make the 5×2 scale viable. “You have to guarantee workers’ rights and guarantee the needs of the economic sector”, he states.
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