Representatives of the industrial sector reacted with criticism to the approval, by the Chamber of Deputies, of the PEC (Constitutional Amendment Project) that reduces the working day and changes the 6×1 scale.
Industry entities claim that the proposal advanced quickly, without sufficient technical debate, and warn of possible changes.
The CNI (National Confederation of Industry) classified the PEC text as “inadequate and untimely” and defended that the reduction in working hours be analyzed considering the effects on workers, companies and consumers, and not under pressure from the electoral period.
“Changes of this magnitude require broad, technical and responsible debate, with the participation of workers, employers and public authorities. This is because changes of this nature can generate relevant impacts on employment, costs and the economy in general”, stated the entity in a note.
For the confederation, it is the most effective way for companies and workers to reach a balanced solution for each economic sector.
Fiesp (Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo) also criticized the processing of the proposal and stated that the vote took place in a “hasty” manner, motivated by electoral interests.
According to the entity, the measure compromises legal certainty by allowing abrupt changes to already established contracts. As an alternative, the federation said it will support .
The text amends article 7 of the Federal Constitution to allow definitions regarding working hours and schedule to be established through an individual agreement between employee and employer, collective agreement or “free direct contractual agreement”.
According to Fiesp, the draft expands the freedom for “workers to define their working hours”.
Fiep (Federation of Industries of the State of Paraná) stated that the approval of the proposal by the Special Committee was “irresponsible” and demonstrated indignation with the progress of the text. The entity maintains that the discussion took place without adequate dialogue with the production sector and without an in-depth analysis of the economic and social impacts.
The Paraná federation also warns that the compulsory reduction in working hours, without productivity gains and without compensatory measures, tends to increase operating costs, reduce the competitiveness of companies and especially affect labor-intensive industrial sectors with continuous operation.
The entity also considers the period of just one year for companies to adapt to the new rules to be insufficient.
