Proposal to end the 6×1 scale is an "illusory benefit" and restricted, says CNI

Entities from different sectors of the Brazilian economy published, this Tuesday (9), an open letter to male and female senators for the approval of PEC 12/2026, known as the PEC of "flexible work".

The document brings together more than 3 thousand economic entities and represents a response to the proposal to end the 6×1 scale, approved in the Chamber of Deputies and now under analysis in the Senate.

Ricardo Alban, president of the CNI (National Confederation of Industry), gave an interview to comment on the position of the productive sector in the face of the debate. For him, the text that came out of the Chamber represents a setback. "The way it was done, the text that came out of the Chamber is something that will only harm the worker", he stated.

Criticism of the Chamber's proposal
Alban argued that the PEC approved by the Chamber would only benefit a restricted portion of the population. According to him, of the 40 million formal workers in Brazil, around 30% work more than 40 hours a week, which represents approximately 12 million people - between 5% and 6% of the total population.

"It's an illusory benefit", he declared, warning that the reduction in working hours without compensation tends to be passed on to the prices of products and services, harming the entire population.

As an example, Alban cited the case of Chile, where a similar reduction in working hours would have resulted in an increase in inflation, informality and unemployment. "What workers really need in Brazil is income. It's not a question of working less and earning the same thing", he highlighted.

He also mentioned that Germany, with an average of 34 hours worked per week in a 48-hour reference, is discussing the possibility of increasing the ceiling, and that Argentina carried out a labor reform in the opposite direction to that being debated in Brazil.

Expectations regarding the Senate
Despite the criticism, Alban stated that the CNI is not against the debate on working hours, but defends that it takes place in depth and without electoral pressure.

"We are very hopeful with the balance of the Senate, with the parsimony of the Senate, not that it approves or disapproves, but that this discussion will be extended without the electoral or opportunistic pressures of an electoral moment", he said.

Alban also commented on the phenomena of Pejotização and the so-called "uberization" of work, stating that such modalities represent, in practice, a search for greater income at a lower cost.

For him, the flexibility of labor relations is a path compatible with the modern economy. "What was negotiated over the legislation is a victory for the modern economy", he stated, arguing that collective bargaining already allows, today, an average of 38.4 hours worked per week in the country.

According to him, the central objective should be to increase productivity and guarantee income for workers, without imposing new costs on the Brazilian economy.

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

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Source: CNN