The end of the 6×1 scale is one of the topics that most should move Brazil this year. The proposal in Congress divides opinions. If, on the one hand, the majority of workers are in favor of the measurepart of the opposition and crucial sectors of the economy are opposed to the idea.
The president of the Chamber of Deputies, Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB), stated that a proposal will be Two different texts are already being discussed in Congress
PEC 8/2025, authored by deputy Erika Hilton (Psol-SP) awaits the opinion of the rapporteur of the Constitution, Justice and Citizenship Committee (CCJ) of the Chamber of Deputies. According to the proposal, the maximum working day would be 4×3, with a maximum of 36 hours in a week. The text already has a rapporteur, the deputy (União-BA).
Another PEC is also being processed in the Senate. 148/2015 was approved on December 10, 2025, by the Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ) of the Senate, with a report by senator Rogério Carvalho (PT-SE). The project is authored by senator Paulo Paim (PT-RS). The text now goes to the Senate plenary for approval. The text still needs to pass through the Chamber of Deputies and be sanctioned by President Lula.
A measure proposes to reduce the weekly working hours in a staggered mannerfrom 2027:
- 42 hours in the 1st year;
- 41 hours in the 2nd year;
- 39 hours in the 3rd year;
- 38 hours in the 4th year;
- 37 hours in the 5th year;
- 36 hours from 2031.
Dialogue in Brasilia
In the halls of Congress, de-escalation is a sensitive topic, especially in an election year. The emphasis has been that the situation is being “dialogued”.
According to federal deputy Reginaldo Lopes (PT-MG) “society decided” on a 5×2 and 40-hour scale. He also stated that a large portion of informal workers would agree to work in the formal market with a “humanized schedule and fair working hours”. For him, the time is now for adjustments to the texts.
According to Lopes, there is a risk of a blackout in the formal market of work if the project is not approved.
On the other side of the spectrum, part of the opposition says they are willing to discuss the proposal, which is very popular. According to deputy Cabo Gilberto Silva (PL-MG), the matter is being debated with the bench.
He also cited the Income Tax exemption for those earning up to R$5,000 as an example that the opposition can be in favor of projects that are from the base allied with the government. “Whatever is good for Brazil, we will discuss,” he said.
Other sectors of the opposition, however, have already publicly criticized the proposal: they say that it is an “electoral” strategy by the Lula government and that the country’s economy would not support the reduction in working hours.
A Young Pan found that the opposition’s strategy is to join forces with the business community to block the vote on the text. Many congressmen have already warned leaders that, if the project is approved, they will vote in favor so as not to lose popularity in an election year. The idea would be to sell to colleagues that reducing the scale would be unfeasible and would cause an “economic collapse”. This narrative, however, divides experts.
Economy at the center of the debate
“It’s a natural movement of things”, says André Galhardochief economist at Economic Analysis, the reduction of working hours. According to him, the measure improves health and promotes employee well-being.
According to the economist, the reduction opens up new opportunities for workers explore the job market. “On a 6×1 scale, the time is very limited, including for you to update yourself.”
In addition to the end of scale, Galhardo points out that this cannot be the only initiative to improve Brazilian productivity. According to him, it is necessary to discuss guidelines that aim to preserve workers’ health, but that provide more productivity for the economy. The solution would be a labor reformbut that does not burden the worker.
“The end of the 6×1 scale no longer brings problems, it can even bring some solutions”, he analyzed.
Juliana Inhasz, professor of economics at Insper and head of economics at the National Association of Executives, however, indicates that the reduction may not generate the expected effect, at least not immediately. “These gains, if they happen, are medium to long term. In the short term, the effect of this scale is firstly an increase in costs for the producer”, he assesses.
Inhasz states that the increase must be passed on to the consumerincreasing prices and harming the workers themselves. The economist also says that the measure could discourage production, especially for small producers, who would have more difficulty internalizing the new costs.
Employee productivity is also questionable. “In the short term, as there is no guarantee that we will experience productivity gains, it seems that there is a cost that cannot be ignored”, he says. “As it stands, without an agenda that looks at how this reduction in scale translates into gains in efficiency and productivity, the We run the risk of losing more than gaining.”
One of the movements that helped bring the agenda to Brasília was VAT (Life Beyond Work).
The association, which started in 2023, defends the end of the 6×1 scale. It was founded by the councilor in Rio de Janeiro, Rick Azevedo (Psol), who told his own experiences on a 6×1 scale on social media.
“It’s an organic movement, from the outside in, made up of workers”, says Nando Martins, State Coordinator of VAT-SP. The election of Rick Azevedo to the Rio de Janeiro City Council, the growth of the internet movement and the approach of congresswoman Erika Hilton would have been the main reasons why the agenda arrived in Brasília and was embraced by the government, according to Nando.
“The VAT fight is better for workers’ lives”, defined the coordinator. Regarding possible increases in spending for business people and employees, Nando believes that the issue can be resolved and only needs adjustments, which would be discussed in the government.
Industry stands against
The National Confederation of Industry (CNI) analyzed what o up to 40 hours could be from R$178.2 billion to R$267.2 billion per year. This would mean a 7% impact on payroll. The projection considered two scenarios: compensating for the reduction with overtime or with new hires.
It also analyzed that the cost of public sector workers could increase by up to R$4 million.
According to the CNI projection, The impacts will be felt most strongly in the construction industry and in micro and small industrial companies. The Brazilian Association of Machinery and Equipment Industries (Abimaq) was also against the approval of the measure.
“A single solution imposed by law would be inadequate and harmful,” he said in a statement. The association defends that the current time of 44 hours per week be maintainedand that individual negotiations should be the “path to the modernization of labor relations” .
Fiesp went further and said she was concerned about the debate on this topic taking place in an election year. “Constitutionally restricting working hours, without considering the specificities of each sector, compromises the autonomy of companies and workers”, stated Paulo Skaf, president of the entity.
