The decree that will regulate the end of the 6x1 work schedule should come out next Monday (9), said this Wednesday (4) the Minister of Labor and Employment, Luiz Marinho.
The text will establish guidelines for organizing working hours and guaranteeing at least eight days off per month for workers.
Following Marinho, the decree will be discussed with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva this Thursday (5) and should guide the implementation of the new rules through collective negotiations.
The regulations should also allow flexibility in the organization of shifts, as long as the rights provided for in the Proposed Amendment to the Constitution (PEC) that abolished the model of six days of work for one day of rest are respected.
Decree
According to Marinho, the decree will aim to coordinate the adoption of different work schedules in economic sectors, without compromising the rights of employees or the functioning of companies.
“We will release the regulatory decree to bring the coordinated process for the implementation of the various scales that each sector intends to implement, always respecting the command of the PEC”, stated the minister.
The publication, initially scheduled for this week, was postponed after Lula was unable to make an order on the topic. The Ministry of Labor expects to complete the regulation next Monday.
Time off and negotiation
The proposal provides for workers to have at least eight days off in a period of 30 days. The distribution of rest periods may vary depending on the characteristics of each activity, as long as the conditions established by the PEC and collective agreements are respected.
Marinho explained that the flexibility could allow for different combinations of weekly hours, depending on the needs of each sector.
"There is no flexibility list. The PEC determines two weekly breaks. The flexibility granted is that these two breaks are consolidated within the month", he declared.
The minister highlighted that collective agreements will play a central role in organizing scales. The priority, according to him, will be negotiation between companies and worker representatives, with the possibility of national conventions that facilitate the accession of different states.
The regulation must also cover sectors that operate continuously, such as health, transport, security and urban cleaning activities.
Reduction of working hours
The proposed change in working hours provides for the gradual reduction of weekly working hours, currently 44 hours, to 40 hours.
According to information released by the government, implementation should take place from December 15th, respecting the conditions established in the regulations.
On October 16, the National Congress enacted the PEC that abolishes the 6x1 scale and establishes a day of five days of work and two days of rest.
Marinho stated that the government's objective is to guarantee the protection of workers during the transition, without harming economic activity.
Market criticism
During the press conference in which he presented data from the General Register of Employed and Unemployed Persons (Caged), the minister also criticized the financial market's reaction to discussions on alternative proposals for economic policy.
The demonstration occurred after questions about the ideas of economist André Lara Resende, one of the creators of the Real Plan, which advocates changes in the conduct of fiscal and monetary policies.
Marinho stated that President Lula must be free to listen to different contributions, even when they differ from the positions defended by financial agents.
“What I find absurd is that any attempt at discussion that is not in the square of the so-called Faria Lima market there is an outcry against it,” he declared.
The minister also criticized the market's resistance to discussing alternatives to the basic interest rate and defended that different proposals be evaluated by the government.
"The behavior of that market, that of the stock exchange, is absurd. It's all meant to lead to nervousness. Can't you listen to people? It's a tremendous amount of inappropriate behavior," he stated.
Marinho added that high interest rates represent an obstacle for the State, companies and society.
“What is unacceptable is to continue at the level of interest that we pay, this is bad for the Brazilian State, bad for companies and society in general”, he concluded.
