The president of the Chamber, (-PB), once again defended, in a meeting with President Luiz Inácio da Silva (), that the House discuss the reduction of working hours through PEC (proposed amendment to the Constitution). Lula, however, reinforced that even with Motta’s preference for the PEC, he will send a bill with constitutional urgency to try to speed up the process.
The two discussed the reduction in working hours during lunch this Tuesday (14), which also included the participation of the new Minister of Institutional Relations, , and the new government leader in the Chamber, (PT-RS).
The project that reduces working hours and puts an end to six days of work and one day off is one of the government’s priorities for this election year.
Motta defined the procedure in the form of a PEC and the rapporteur of the text at the CCJ (Constitution and Justice Commission) of the Chamber should present the text this Wednesday (15). The PEC process takes longer, as it also requires the creation of a special commission. Afterwards, the text must be approved in two rounds by the plenary.
Government sectors have been defending for weeks the sending of a project with constitutional urgency, which has a deadline of 45 days to be processed in each House, to speed up the discussion. The Executive, however, hesitated to reduce the chances of friction with Motta.
Last week, Motta said he was informed by the then government leader, José Guimarães, that the government had given up sending the project. The Plateau, however,
Some of the deputies prefer that the project be processed in the form of a PEC to have more protagonism over the proposal, which is popular and has electoral appeal. Motta would also have said that the proposal resumes the role of the Chamber,
With this format, Congress would also have more power over the issue, since proposed amendments to the Constitution do not depend on presidential sanction.
When sending a bill, Lula wants to maintain the right to veto parts of the proposal that is approved. Furthermore, members of the government suspect that the Chamber turned to the PEC precisely because it is a type of project that is more difficult to pass.
It was agreed at lunch that, after sending the project, Motta and government representatives will discuss with the other benches in the Chamber to define the next steps in the discussion.
“We agreed that we will send the bill with constitutional urgency on the 6×1,” Guimarães told journalists at Palácio do Planalto. He stated that the project will be sent “from today to tomorrow”.
“A crisis that was existing, whether he orders it or not, has been overcome. It is the president’s wish to move forward, and President Hugo Motta agreed. We will sit there and discuss”, declared the Minister of Institutional Relations.
Guimarães assumed political articulation in a ceremony held a few hours earlier, also in Planalto.
At lunch, it was also agreed that the bill regulating work via apps will not be voted on at this time. The government’s assessment is that the political environment is turbulent for this issue. Motta indicated to Lula that he agreed to withdraw the project from discussion for an indefinite period of time.
On Monday, the 13th, the rapporteur of the proposal, deputy Augusto Coutinho (Republicanos-PE), expressed dissatisfaction with the withdrawal of the project.
“The government now sends the project and then justifies the price increase to the population,” he said on Tuesday. “I’m going to wait for the government to send its project. I’m challenging Minister Boulos,” he stated.
minister of the General Secretariat, is the one who articulates the proposal from the federal government’s side.
