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Business Entities and Congressional Fronts Coordinate to Curb the Change of the 6×1 Work Shift, Aiming to Postpone the Vote, Expand Technical Debate, and Test Solutions Like 40-Hour Work Weeks and Hourly Wages.
Business associations, sector leaders, and congressional fronts organized a plan on three fronts to try to halt the end of the 6×1 work shift. The strategy combines postponing the vote until after the elections, producing studies and campaigns to expose costs and risks, and presenting legislative alternatives. According to O Tempo, on February 22, 2026, the movement gained traction after Lula’s government decided to submit a project to Congress and the Chamber embraced a PEC on the subject.
According to the newspaper, the main bet is to push the vote to after October, when the electoral process ends. Entrepreneurs evaluate that it will be difficult to block changes in the first semester due to the strong appeal among voters, a scenario similar to the expansion of income tax exemptions for those earning up to R$ 5,000, approved even with criticism of the new tax on incomes above R$ 50,000. Political calculations weigh directly on the pace of the legislative process.
The President of the Chamber, Hugo Motta (Republicans-PB), has taken up the PEC proposed by Congresswoman Erika Hilton (PSOL-SP), which, in the entities’ assessment, gives more time for debate through constitutional means. In a statement, the CNI defended separating the technical debate from the electoral calendar and called for a discussion “guided by evidence.” The President of the CNT, Vander Costa, stated that it’s not about delaying, but about “discussing at the right time, without haste.”
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According to information from Folhapress, the Chamber may vote on the issue in May, if the agenda of the President of the House prevails. However, the government is trying for an urgency project, which would shorten deadlines. Meanwhile, parliamentary fronts are preparing over ten requests for public hearings to extend the debate in the CCJ.
Business Plan Prioritizes Postponing Vote Until After October and Articulating Alternatives in Congress
The central guideline is to prevent the change from progressing in the first semester, when electoral appeals tend to amplify support for the proposal. Leaders assess that, as occurred with the income tax exemption for up to R$ 5,000, public pressure pushes the vote, even against technical criticisms. Therefore, the watchword is to buy time.
The choice of Hugo Motta for the PEC route reinforces this strategy, as the constitutional process requires more steps and a higher quorum. The business plan begins at the CCJ, where any conflicts with immutable clauses will be questioned, while fronts articulate more than ten hearings to enlarge the debate. Afterwards, a special committee should discuss merit adjustments.
The President of the Entrepreneurship Parliamentary Front, Congressman Joaquim Passarinho (PL-PA), considers it likely that the vote will occur still in the first semester and, therefore, advocates presenting viable alternatives. He criticizes the 4×3 work shift planned in the proposal by Erika Hilton and admits that a 5×2 model “is already starting to improve,” but still prefers to address reductions in hours, not just days.
Proposals Under Discussion Reduce Work Hours or Relax Rules with a Focus on Costs and Adaptation
For Joaquim Passarinho, the 4×3 work shift “is a bomb” and can “break even the government,” as it demands hiring and accelerated adjustments. As an alternative, he suggests reducing the weekly load from 44 to 40 hours, decreasing by one hour per year starting in 2027, with a goal of reaching 2030 gradually. The objective is to provide predictability and adaptation time.
If the government insists on abolishing the 6×1, another suggested solution is to combine the change with the PEC by Mauricio Marcon (PL-RS), which allows for a flexible work shift model with hourly wages, inspired by the United States. The proposal would allow calibrating costs according to the actual number of hours worked. A broad payroll tax exemption has also entered the radar to mitigate the impact of additional hiring.
The relator of the subcommittee that discussed the issue in 2025, Congressman Luiz Gastão (PSD-CE), linked to commerce and services, advocates reducing to 40 hours per week without limiting the number of days worked. In his view, imposing two fixed days of rest would disrupt routines of companies with continuous operations.
As a counterpoint, the then-President of the Labor Committee, Congressman Léo Prates (PDT-BA), proposed raising the maximum daily work shift from 8 to 10 hours, with a limit of five days per week. “The movement’s banner is to end the 6×1 work shift, have two days of rest for the worker. The rest is accessory,” he stated, summarizing the social priority of the agenda.
Sectors Fear Impact on Costs, Prices, and Informality and Prepare Public Offensive
Entities are organizing studies, campaigns, and opinion polls to counter pro-change arguments and gauge practical effects. A manifesto in preparation, which already brings together about 90 entities, is set to be delivered on March 3 to the presidents of various parliamentary fronts and presented to Hugo Motta at a seminar. The pieces emphasize the risk of cost transfers to consumers, increased informality, and pressure on wages.
In the bar and restaurant sector, the President of Abrasel, Paulo Solmucci, is considering hiring research to test support once the impacts are known. He projects a 20% increase in expenses to cover extra time off with new hires and estimates a 7% rise in prices for customers. “It’s hard to propose working less and for people to be against it, but the weight for services is not clear,” he says.
Labor Shortage Pressures Transition Logic and Collective Negotiation Gains Strength
The President of the CNT, Vander Costa, warns that Congress must evaluate whether this is the right time to reduce work hours, given the shortage of professionals. “There are trucks and buses parked due to a lack of drivers,” he states, advocating that everything be built through collective negotiation, avoiding a one-size-fits-all rule in a country of continental dimensions.
In a statement, the CNI called for a calm debate, guided by evidence and focused on lasting results. The combination of qualification bottlenecks, the electoral calendar, and fiscal impact reinforces, for the entities, the need for a transition design that minimizes short-term shocks.
Electoral Calendar and Comparison with Income Tax Exemption Help Explain the Urgency and Caution
The recent memory of the expansion of income tax exemptions for up to R$ 5,000 is cited as an example of a topic with a strong popular appeal. Even with criticism of the new tax on incomes above R$ 50,000, the opposition supported the project, highlighting the strength of the topic with voters. The parallel helps explain why there is urgency on one side and caution on the other.
In the case of the end of the 6×1, the reading is similar. As the proposal for more time off tends to be well received, entrepreneurs see few chances of substantial reversal in the first semester. Hence the movement to push the appreciation until after October and, in the meantime, consolidate studies, simulations, and alternatives.
The next steps include the admissibility analysis in the CCJ, followed by a special committee and, depending on the agreement, possibly a vote in May. Meanwhile, the manifesto of about 90 entities reaches the fronts on March 3, while the government insists on sending an urgency project to accelerate the process.
What do you think is more sustainable for the country at this moment, to end the 6×1 now, migrate to a 5×2, reduce to 40 hours by 2030, or invest in hourly wages? Leave your comment and say which path balances employment, prices, and productivity better. The debate is open and the controversy is an essential part of good public decision-making.
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