For experts, the end of 6×1 puts productivity in check and generates costs

The PEC (Proposed Amendment to the Constitution) for the end of the 6x1 scale approved in the Chamber of Deputies continues to generate criticism from the production sector, which warns of impacts on costs, on the consumer's pocket and on the workers themselves.

CNN Brasil heard experts and representatives about the economic impasses of reducing the scale and working hours from 44 to 40 hours per week, who see productivity as one of the obstacles to change.

Productivity: Brazil x developed countries
José Pastore, president of the Employment and Labor Relations Council at FecomercioSP, compares the Brazilian scenario with that of developed countries that implemented changes in hours worked.

For him, it is necessary to increase productivity and then reduce working hours. "For every improvement in productivity, they [developed countries] reduce their working hours a little", he states.

Brazil, however, is "stagnant at a very low level" in terms of production, recognizes Pastore.

While workers in advanced countries earn between US$60 and US$80 per hour, in Brazil the average is US$17.

The consideration is also made by André Portela, professor of Economics at FGV (Fundação Getúlio Vargas). He also highlights that other nations did not combine a reduction in working hours and the establishment of a specific scale in their constitution.

"Scales have always been negotiated by parties below the law", he explains.

Portela sees a different relationship between productivity and hours worked than that advocated by the PEC at the end of 6×1.

"It is not the reduction of working hours and scale that increases productivity. On the contrary, increasing productivity leads to a reduction in working hours", he argues.

Pecs about 6x1 are wrong in technical terms, says pres. of the cons. by FecomercioSP | MORNING CALL

Productivity does not compensate for reduced working hours
On the other hand, Gustavo Madi, director of the consultancy LCA, recognizes that workers who are more rested have higher performance, make fewer mistakes and have lower turnover, which increases productivity per hour worked.

However, he counters that this gain does not compensate for the reduction in total monthly hours worked.

"This increase in productivity per hour is not enough to compensate for the total production in the longer period of time. Over the course of a month, for example, the total amount worked by this employee will reduce, which means a lower level of production", says Madi.

For him, the measure therefore has "a cost in terms of reducing the productive capacity of the population as a whole".

With the end of 6x1, a reduction in production capacity should be noted, says expert | CNN PRIME TIME

Impact on costs
The production problem predates the discussion about the end of 6×1 and betting that the change in scale will bring gains in this sense is unlikely, according to Felipe Tavares, chief economist at BGC Liquidez.

"Brazil has significant difficulty in achieving clear productivity gains in our economy, especially in our recent history. We have had difficulty finding these productivity gains for 40, 50 years," says Tavares.

He questions the ability to maintain production volumes constantly without increasing the number of workers, a fact that would support the argument in favor of the 6×1 PEC.

"The probability of you gaining productivity is very small", he says.

End of the 6x1 scale should not bring productivity gains, says economist | H TIME

The scenario projected by the chief economist at BGC Liquidez is an increase in hiring and expenses for businesspeople to maintain production levels, which would harm the companies' coffers and consequently the consumer.

"You will have a complete disruption of the business community's cost structure, because they will have to hire more people to be able to close what they had before. This will put pressure on prices, which will generate inflationary disruption", warns Tavares.

Study: end of the 6×1 scale can reduce GDP, income, jobs and companies

Source: CNN