PT president and former minister Edinho Silva stated this Thursday (April 9, 2026) at a dinner debate promoted by Grupo Esfera, in São Paulo, that the discussion on the 6 x 1 work schedule must be conducted without political or ideological bias. According to him, the theme is linked not only to a local scenario, but “to the structural economic crisis” in the world. It must, therefore, be analyzed in a technical way.
“The 6 for 1 working day debate is not just a labor right, it is also a response to the structural economic crisis that we are experiencing today”dher “We are producing more with less workforce. This means putting more products on the market with less mass consumption.”
For Edinho, expanding the consumption base is essential to sustain economic growth. He argued that the reorganization of the working day can contribute to increasing the number of workers in the production base. “We have to think about how to increase the number of workers in the production base so that there is sufficient consumption”he stated.
The former minister stated that the change still depends on regulation. According to him, commerce is today the main segment where the 6 x 1 scale still predominates and there are already categories that have reduced working hours through collective agreements.
Edinho also defended that the debate takes into account structural factors, such as urban mobility. He mentioned that around 22 million Brazilians do not have access to public transport due to lack of payment conditions, which, in his opinion, impacts access to work.
Technological advancement, according to Edinho, should deepen changes in the job market. “We haven’t even seen the tip of the iceberg of artificial intelligence yet”these.
This report was produced by journalism intern Gabriella Santos under the supervision of Assistant Editorial Secretary Guilherme Pavarin
