Alelo went to the São Paulo Court with a request for an injunction against the changes to the VA (food vouchers) and VR (meal vouchers), but the judge asked to hear the Union before deciding.
In recent days, to suspend the application of penalties provided for in the decree that reformulated the rules of the PAT (Worker’s Food Program).
The decree is expected to come into force on February 9, which has led to a race for judicial decisions.
Signed in November last year with a period of three months for adaptation,:
- The reduction in the period for operators to transfer the amounts paid with VA and VR to establishments, which fell to 15 calendar days;
- The limitation of the interchange fee charged by the acquirer’s PAT issuer, of 2%;
- The definition of a ceiling of 3.6% for the fee charged to establishments.
The incumbents criticize the changes determined by the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) government in the PAT, claiming that they could distort the central objective of the program.
The entrants (such as Flash, Caju, Swile and iFood) support the new rules, on the grounds that they will expand the market and give workers more options.
In the order referring to Alelo’s request, judge Marilaine Almeida Santos ordered the Union to be summoned urgently to present a statement regarding the request for
urgent protection, within 72 hours. The document was signed last Monday (26).
“Despite the arguments deduced by the author (Alelo), I consider it necessary to hear the opposing party, to better demonstrate the verisimilitude of the alleged right, in prestige for the exercise of the adversarial process”, wrote the judge.
PAT
About to turn 50 years old, the Workers’ Food Program serves more than 22 million workers and generates between R$150 billion and R$200 billion per year.
The government justified that the changes defined in 2025 aim to end oligopolies, serve small businesses and benefit workers. Through the Ministry of Finance, the government estimated that the new rules should generate savings of R$7.9 billion per year, equivalent to R$225 per worker.
The open arrangement in PAT will allow the use of the food benefit as a branded card (Visa, Mastercard, etc.), accepted at any establishment that accepts that brand, and no longer just in accredited networks.
According to the government and companies supporting this arrangement, there will be increased flexibility, competition and freedom of choice for workers, while the company will maintain control over exclusive use for food through PAT rules.
Portability, which would give workers the possibility of choosing the operator of their ticket, was left out of this regulation, for technical reasons, given the difficulty of operationalization.
