The future of working hours in Brazil is a subject that requires in-depth and mature dialogue before the National Congress votes to reduce the 6×1 scale, according to experts interviewed by CNN Brazil.
The subject of reducing working hours is full of many nuances, pros and cons, highlights André Portela, professor at FGV EESP (São Paulo School of Economics at Fundação Getulio Vargas).
“It’s a structuring proposal for the economy, and to have a rational, thought-out decision, we need a lot of discussion”, points out the economist specializing in the labor market.
In this sense, the CNN Brazil promotes a special program this Saturday (11). Four experts debate, with mediation from the anchor Márcio Gomesthe agendas presented by the public authorities and the impacts that a possible extinction of the 6×1 scale will bring to the Brazilian economy.
In addition to public authorities and ordinary citizens, the issue is of interest to the productive sector. , Brazilian executives are closely following the debate, as indicated by Vander Giordano, advisor at .
Giordano points out that “we always seek better conditions for the well-being of workers”, but that placing urgency and speed on this debate could lead to poor planning and a negative impact on the country.
“We are in favor of the debate, it is important to build the agenda with divergences and convergences”, emphasizes the executive, questioning how the transformation in the payroll of companies, which will need more employees, will be subsidized.
In this sense, Sergio Firpo, professor of Economics and coordinator of Insper’s Public Spending Quality Observatory, proposes a transition rule that is differentiated between sectors.
Firpo warns that when charges increase due to the need for more hiring, some businesses may end up leaning towards informal hiring.
“Hiring without a formal contract can be bad for the economy. , and the more informal it is, the less likely the country is”, he asks.
Comparing Brazil with emerging countries in Asia that have longer working hours than ours, Samuel Pessôa, associate researcher at FGV Ibre (Brazilian Institute of Economics of Fundação Getulio Vargas) and BTG Pactual, attests that this is one of the factors that drives greater growth in these economies.
“There is no evidence that Brazil’s journeys are too long. […] The international bases that compare different countries around the world show that Brazil’s journey is normal, there is no sign of excess”, he concludes.
Portela emphasizes that society needs to be well informed about the subject before deciding on it, and that this requires time that does not match the urgency of the electoral period.
“During an election period, the debate ends up being contaminated by other factors and reasons. The bad thing about the discussion during an election period is that it creates an urgency that does not allow time for a mature and in-depth discussion”, ponders the FGV EESP professor.
The program “The future of the working day in Brazil” will air at 9:15 pm this Saturday, on CNN Brazil.
