Proposal to reduce working hours, without salary cuts, is already being processed in the National Congress; The topic is treated as a social priority and should gain weight in the 2026 elections
=President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva defended the end of the 6×1 work schedule, without salary reduction, during the Christmas address shown on national radio and television this Tuesday night (24). The topic was presented as one of the government’s priorities and should be part of the political and electoral debate in 2026.
In his speech, Lula stated that the “right to time” is an urgent demand from the population and criticized the working hours model in which workers have only one day of rest per week. According to the president, it is not fair for people to work six consecutive days without adequate time for family life, leisure, personal care and monitoring the upbringing of children.
The proposal to change working hours is already being processed in the National Congress in different initiatives and has the support of Palácio do Planalto. One of the main ones is the proposed amendment to the Constitution (PEC) presented by senator Paulo Paim (PT-RS), which provides for the gradual reduction of the weekly workload from 44 to 36 hours. The text was approved in December by the Senate Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ).
Lula stated that it is up to elected representatives to listen to society and transform the demand into public policy. “The end of the 6×1 scale, without salary reduction, is a people’s demand that needs to be heard and turned into reality,” said the president during his Christmas message. “It’s not fair that a person is forced to work hard for six days and only has one day to rest their body and head, go out with their family, take care of the house and have fun, and closely monitor their children’s growth.”
In recent conversations with journalists, the Chief Executive had already signaled that Brazil is prepared to discuss reducing working hours. The topic has also been gaining ground in Congress and in the public debate, driven by research that indicates travel and public safety are among the main concerns of Brazilians.
