The president of the Chamber of Deputies, Hugo Motta, stated this Thursday (7) that he sees a “very favorable” political environment for the approval of the PEC that reduces working hours and foresees the end of the 6×1 scale.
According to him, the proposal already garners support from parliamentarians from different parties and could advance quickly in Congress.
During a public hearing held in Paraíba, Motta said he believes that the text has the potential to achieve broad convergence in the Chamber, regardless of the division between the government base and the opposition. The deputy compared the scenario to the recent debate on Income Tax reform and stated that the issue is no longer just a party flag.
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“Who knows, maybe there will even be unanimity within the Chamber”, he declared.
The discussion takes place at a time when the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is trying to transform the reduction of working hours into one of the main social agendas with an eye on the pre-election period. Motta, however, denied electoral motivation and stated that the debate over working hours is historic.
According to him, Lula commented that he had already defended changes on a 6×1 scale since the period in which he led the Metalworkers Union of São Bernardo do Campo and Diadema.
“The month of May will be an intense month of hearings so that all sectors can speak, not just workers, but also the productive sector, in the most balanced way possible”, stated the president of the Chamber.
The special committee’s strategy is to conclude the round of regional debates on the topic this month. Motta’s expectation is that, once this stage is complete, the proposal will go directly to a vote in the Chamber plenary in May. After that, the intention is to speed up the process in the Senate so that the analysis can be completed before the legislative recess in July.
Resistance of the productive sector
Despite the political advancement of the proposal, business sectors continue to show concern about possible economic impacts of reducing working hours. Motta acknowledged the criticism, but stated that labor changes historically face initial resistance.
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“There is always a false narrative that changes are not bearable,” he said.
The president of the Chamber stated that the intention is not to approve a text that would cause economic imbalances or harm specific sectors of the economy, but highlighted that the political decision to take the proposal forward has already been taken.
“Not voting is not in question,” he said.
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The hearing held in Paraíba marked the beginning of state discussions promoted by the Chamber’s special committee. The state was chosen at the request of Motta, who was born in Paraíba and seeks to associate his management with the eventual approval of the proposal.
In addition to Paraíba, debates are planned in Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul. According to the president of the special commission, Alencar Santana, other states may still be included in the calendar.
