End of 6×1 could increase bus fares by up to 8%, says entity

With the approval of the PEC (Proposed Amendment to the Constitution) to end the 6×1 scale in the Chamber of Deputies, several sectors of the Brazilian economy are beginning to warn about the consequences of the change.

The NTU (National Association of Urban Transport Companies), for example, warns of an increase of up to 8% in public bus fares, which is among the estimates.

Data from Ipea (Institute of Applied Economic Research) published in the latest edition of NTUrbano, identified that, with a change in the number of hours worked, the land transport sectors could see an increase in costs of up to 8.77% per working hour, a number higher than the national average of 7.84%.

Already considering the weight of labor, estimated at 25.2%, the final impact would be an increase of 2.21% in the operational expenses of transport companies.

"Any change in the journey, therefore, tends to have a direct and immediate impact on both the cost structure and the service offering", explains the entity.

However, NTU itself commissioned simulations to evaluate possible scenarios. In the eventual end of the 6×1 scale and adoption of the 5×2 scale, labor costs increased between 13% and 15%, reaching a total value of R$1.17 million per month.

"This labor cost represents between 45% and 50% of the total cost. Therefore, with an increase in this type of item, this means an increase of 6.5% and 7.5% in tariffs for the final consumer. In some cities, this cost can reach up to 8%", explains Matteus Freitas, technical director at NTU.

According to the Ipea publication, land transport is part of the group of 31 economic sectors that "require special attention for transition processes in cases of implementing a reduction in working hours".

This is because the sector, according to NTU, "carries one of the largest contingents of formal workers in the country", with 1.78 million active CLT (CLT - Consolidation of Labor Laws) contracts.

Despite the expectation of an increase, the labor and union lawyer at Duarte Tonetti Advogados, Fernanda Miranda, explains that these amounts will not automatically weigh on passengers' pockets.

"Legally, bus companies cannot simply increase fares on their own. Urban public transport is a public service provided by concession or municipal permission, and fares are regulated by the Public Authorities", he explains.

Therefore, according to the lawyer, the setting and adjustment of the fare depends on an act from the City Hall or the transport management body. In this context, Miranda states that, before the increase, these issues must go through legal scrutiny and the following steps:

- The company or the employers' union presents studies demonstrating the economic-financial imbalance of the contract;
- The regulatory body or City Hall analyzes the data;
- Tariff impact calculations are carried out;
- The Public Authority decides whether to increase the tariff; expands subsidies; combines both measures; or reject the request.

"This procedure arises from the principle of economic-financial balance of administrative contracts, provided for in the Constitution and concession legislation", states the lawyer.

Freitas confirms. According to the director, if the PEC is approved as it is, it would take around a year for tariffs to be increased.

Increased costs affect other sectors

In addition to urban transport, other sectors show that they would be affected by the end of the 6×1 scale.

A study by Fipe (Fundação Instituto de Pesquisas Econômicas) commissioned by AHOSP (Association of Hospitals and Health Services of the State of São Paulo) estimated that the sector could lose approximately 4.3% of total contracted hours and have an increase of up to 8.4% in health work costs.

In financial terms, the annual impact varies from R$7.7 billion to R$19 billion for the health sector, considered an essential service.

In addition, last Tuesday (9), commercial and industrial sectors published an open letter to senators for the approval of PEC 12/2026, that of "flexible work", as it was dubbed.

According to the petition, the note represents more than 40 million jobs, or 90% of the Brazilian GDP (Gross Domestic Product).

This proposition is an alternative to the PEC due to the end of the 6×1 scale and allows employees to choose between following the traditional CLT (Consolidation of Labor Laws) working regime or a flexible regime based on hours worked.

The open letter was signed by CNA (National Confederation of Agriculture), CNC (National Confederation of Commerce), CNI (National Confederation of Industry), CNT (National Confederation of Transport), FIESP (Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo) and numerous other associations that demonstrated their dissatisfaction with the current PEC on the agenda in the Senate.

Within the scope of property security of public institutions and transportation of private valuables, Jeferson Nazário, president of Fenavist (National Federation of Security and Securities Transport Companies) foresees an increase of around 20% in costs.

"This is because hours that exceed the limit of 44 hours per week on the 12×36 scale - currently the most used by the segment - will require different treatment, with the incidence of payment of overtime to ensure full coverage of operations", he explains.

In relation to the impact on supermarket prices for the final consumer, Erlon Ortega, from Apas (Associação Paulista de Supermercados), believes in an increase of 9% to 10%. According to the member, the approval of the PEC will result in an increase in operating costs, which will be reflected on the shelves.

"A project that takes away 10% of our workforce forces us to hire around 10% more," he told CNN Brasil.

What the PEC says
The PEC that establishes the end of the 6×1 scale and the reduction of working hours to 40 hours per week was approved, in two shifts, by the Chamber of Deputies on May 27th.

The vote had 472 deputies in favor of the measure in the first round and 461 in the second. However, the text still needs to be analyzed by the Senate and be promulgated by the National Congress to take effect.

The transition to the end of the 6×1 scale will only begin after the approval of the proposal by both Houses and its promulgation by the National Congress, a process that does not yet have a defined date.

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After this stage, implementation will occur in two phases. The first will begin 60 days after the text's promulgation, guaranteeing two days of paid rest per week and reducing working hours from 44 to 42 hours per week.

After 14 months, the working hours will be reduced from 42 to 40 hours per week, maintaining the 5×2 scale, with one of the days off being, preferably, on Sundays. Furthermore, there will be no salary reduction.

The PEC, reported by congressman Leo Prates (Republicans), brought together two proposals that were being processed together, one from 2019, by congressman Reginaldo Lopes (PT-MG), and another presented last year by congresswoman Erika Hilton (PSOL-SP).

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Source: CNN