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Businessman again criticized the reduction of working hours, projected increased costs and inflation, and stated that he is evaluating opportunities in Paraguay while Havan plans expansion in Brazil amid the progress of the proposal in Congress.
Luciano Hang, owner of Havan and public supporter of Jair Bolsonaro in the latest national disputes, criticized the proposal that ends the 6×1 schedule and reduces the weekly working hours from 44 to 40 hours, without salary loss.
In an interview with Folha, the businessman stated that the change would increase costs, pressure prices, and could cause a “collapse” among small and medium-sized retail companies in Brazil.
The PEC 221/2019 was approved by the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday (27), in two rounds, and proceeded to the Senate for analysis, a necessary step for the constitutional amendment to advance in Congress.
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The proposal establishes a maximum of 40 weekly working hours and extends the weekly rest, a topic that has mobilized labor unions, parliamentarians, businessmen, and trade-related entities.
Hang reacted to the approval of the measure by advocating for the adoption of a 4×3 schedule, with four days of work and three days of rest, a model that, according to him, would accelerate the economic effects attributed to the reduction of working hours.
“Congress should approve the 4×3 and implement it in June so we could see how long Brazil would endure. Bad things should happen as quickly as possible, there’s no point in suffering for a long time,” the businessman stated.
In the same interview, Hang linked the debate on working hours to the country’s political and economic scenario, in a statement presented by him as a criticism of the direction of the decisions under discussion in Congress.
“I think to fix this country, it would only be with a disaster. So, let the disaster happen as quickly as possible,” he told Folha.
End of the 6×1 schedule and impact on Havan’s costs
In Hang’s assessment, the end of the 6×1 schedule would increase Havan’s costs by 15% to 20%, a percentage that, according to him, would directly affect the operation of the chain and other companies in the sector.
The businessman argues that this impact would not be limited to companies, as part of the additional expenses would be passed on to consumers through higher prices in retail, industry, and services.
“The belt comes from the hide. These costs that will be imposed on industry, commerce, and services will be passed on in prices,” declared Hang when commenting on the economic effects he attributes to the change.
For the owner of Havan, the increase in labor expenses could reduce part of the expected gain for workers with the reduction of working hours, if consumer prices rise in the proportion projected by him.
Hang also stated that the inflation resulting from this movement would decrease the purchasing power of wages, which, in his view, could lead workers to seek a second job to supplement family income.
Supporters of the PEC claim that the reduction of working hours aims to update labor relations and increase employees’ rest time, without necessarily compromising companies’ productivity.
The proposal, however, remains under debate in Congress and still depends on analysis in the Senate, where parliamentarians must discuss social, economic, and operational impacts before any potential vote.
Days off on Sundays and divergence in commerce
Hang’s criticisms also reached rules provided in labor legislation, including article 386 of the CLT, which guarantees women a Sunday off every 15 days in activities that operate on Sundays.
The rule has existed since 1943 and was reaffirmed by the Supreme Federal Court in 2023, after questions about its application and non-compliance recorded especially after the labor reform of 2017.
The provision aims to ensure periodic rest on a day of greater family and social interaction, but its application is criticized by part of the business sector due to the organization of schedules.
“Havan has three shifts. Some time ago, they invented that women cannot work two Sundays in a row. What do you achieve with that? You will have to hire more men,” stated Hang.
The businessman also said that rules of this type can harm the public they seek to protect, an argument he used to criticize the way part of the labor legislation is constructed in the country.
“Every law that doesn’t make sense, the person for whom the law was made is the one who suffers,” declared Hang, commenting on the effects he attributes to the rule on Sunday days off.
FecomercioSP presented a different assessment on the subject to Folha and stated that the difficulty is less related to gender and more to the complexity of organizing schedules in environments with various collective bargaining models.
Among the regimes mentioned by the entity are formats like 1×1, 2×1, and 2×2 for Sunday days off, which can vary according to agreements and conventions signed between companies and workers.
Ricardo Patah, president of UGT and the São Paulo Retail Workers Union, also disagrees with the idea that the rule could reduce female employment in commerce.
According to him, women continue to occupy central roles in supermarkets, customer service, and sales, including in sectors where the female presence is considered relevant for the relationship with consumers.
Havan eyes international expansion in Paraguay
While criticizing the advancement of the PEC in Congress, Hang is preparing an agenda in Paraguay to evaluate opportunities for Havan’s internationalization and to learn about conditions offered to Brazilian companies in the neighboring country.
The businessman said he should visit the country between June 29 and July 1, with a scheduled meeting with President Santiago Peña, according to a statement he gave to Folha.
The trip takes place amid the interest of Brazilian companies in the Paraguayan maquila regime, a model that offers tax incentives and lower labor costs for companies that produce in the country.
In recent years, groups linked to the textile and retail sectors have started to evaluate or expand operations in Paraguay, a movement associated by entrepreneurs with more favorable production costs and tax rules.
“President Peña called me, his minister called me, and I arranged to visit Paraguay between June 29 and July 1,” Hang said when commenting on the agenda.
According to the businessman, suppliers and people close to the production sector have already transferred part of their operations to the country, which motivated the decision to personally learn about local conditions.
“I can’t be the last businessman to turn off the lights. My suppliers are already there, my friends are already living there,” said Hang, explaining his interest in evaluating opportunities outside Brazil.
The businessman also stated that he intends to understand why Paraguay would have attracted more than 250 Brazilian companies, a number he cited when defending the trip to the neighboring country.
With its administrative headquarters in Brusque, Santa Catarina, Havan is among the department store chains with the largest national presence, with stores in different regions of Brazil and operations concentrated in physical retail.
The company gained national prominence also due to Hang’s public support for Jair Bolsonaro before the 2018 presidential election, when the businessman frequently appeared at political events and campaigns.
The chain reported having 191 stores and more than 25,000 employees, in addition to the planned opening of the 192nd unit in Taquara, Rio Grande do Sul.
In 2025, the company recorded R$ 13.7 billion in net revenue and a net profit of R$ 3.5 billion, according to data attributed to the company in the interview.
Havan’s informed expectation is to end the year with more than 200 stores and a gross revenue close to R$ 22 billion, after a gross revenue of R$ 18.5 billion in 2025.
Luciano Hang and political involvement in the elections
Despite the closeness to right-wing figures, Hang stated that he does not intend to repeat the level of political involvement recorded in previous campaigns, when he publicly acted in defense of Jair Bolsonaro.
The businessman said he maintains friendships with potential presidential candidates, such as Flávio Bolsonaro, Romeu Zema, and Ronaldo Caiado, but declared that he intends to adopt a more reserved stance in the electoral process.
“Now, at 63 years old, I no longer have the disposition I had when I was 55 to do everything I did for Bolsonaro,” said Hang.
In the interview, he said he is more dedicated to the management of the stores and the responsibility towards Havan’s employees, an argument used to justify the intention to reduce political exposure.
The businessman and Havan were sentenced in 2024 by the Labor Court to pay R$ 85 million in a lawsuit filed by the Public Ministry of Labor.
The accusation involved coercion of employees to vote for Jair Bolsonaro in the 2018 presidential election, when Fernando Haddad was contesting the second round for the PT.
Hang rejects the idea of getting “fully involved” in an electoral campaign again and states that, as he does not hold a political office, he intends to limit his public activities this year.
According to the businessman, the priority will be to maintain focus on the management of Havan and on issues related to the business environment, especially discussions about operating costs, working hours, and network expansion.
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