Senator Omar Aziz (PSD-AM), rapporteur of the constitutional amendment that would end Brazil's 6x1 work schedule, in which employees work six days and rest one per week, told Folha de S.Paulo on Monday (24) that he plans to deliver his report on Thursday (27). The goal is for the Senate's Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ) to vote the text the following Wednesday. Aziz did not commit, however, to keeping the version approved by the Chamber of Deputies.
"I want to present the report on Thursday, so we can vote the following Wednesday [in the CCJ]. I will still analyze the proposal, I have not decided whether I will keep the Chamber's text or not," the senator said.
Before reaching the Senate floor, the amendment needs approval from the CCJ, chaired by Otto Alencar (PSD-BA), who, like Aziz, is seen as an ally of the Lula administration in the Senate. According to CartaCapital, the proposal was sent to the committee last week, after a period of friction between Senate president Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP) and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The two have since resumed talks.
Tight calendar because of the election
Ending the 6x1 schedule has become a central theme of Lula's reelection campaign, and the government is in a hurry to approve the proposal before the October vote. Because of the electoral calendar, Congress will have only one week of votes, from August 31 to September 4. The administration's plan is to approve the text in the committee and, if possible, on the floor on the same day. According to CartaCapital, the expectation is that Aziz will not propose substantial changes, since any alteration would send the bill back to the Chamber and delay final approval.
On the other side, the presidential campaign of Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ), son of former president Jair Bolsonaro, opposes voting on the change before the election and defends free negotiation between employers and workers, with pay by the hour, Folha reported. To contain the opposition, the government is considering shortening the time allowed for requests to review the report, so all senators can read it without pushing the vote to the 3rd.
On Monday, Lula took to social media to criticize, without naming Flávio, the effort to delay the vote, according to CartaCapital. "The working people who keep this country moving deserve more time for leisure, to take care of their health and to watch their children grow. It is about time for the family," the president wrote.