Understand in three points how the discussion about reducing the 6×1 scale is going

The debate on the end of the 6×1 scale reaches the final stretch with some points still under discussion in the Chamber's special committee. The report by deputy Leo Prates (Republicanos-BA) should be presented on Monday (25). Until then, the congressman has to unlock three points still in dispute between the government and the opposition.

The most sensitive is the transition period for the application of the measure. The topic has been the main point of dispute between government supporters and opponents. The government has spent the last few months saying that it would not give up on the "immediate" end of the 6×1. Now, Palácio do Planalto is already talking about two or three years for workers to have 40 hours of work per week and two days of rest.

The opposition wanted as much time as possible for the new rule to take effect. To stretch the rope, right-wing deputies filed amendments to the project suggesting up to 10 years of transition. Prates said he wanted the 6×1 to end as quickly as possible, but signaled that he will seek a middle ground so that the text takes into account the demands of workers and businesspeople.

The expectation is that the agreement will revolve around a transition of three to four years, with a reduction of one hour in working hours per week.

The other topic under debate is compensation for companies impacted by the reduction in working hours. Fecomércio states that the end of 6×1 will cost entrepreneurs up to R$160 billion. Therefore, they ask for tax assistance and even exemptions from the government.

Planalto said it was completely opposed to any type of exemption or aid to businesspeople, and was based on two arguments. In a first move, PT parliamentarians have reinforced that there has never been a social advance with compensation to companies, not even when the CLT (Consolidation of Labor Laws) was implemented and much less when there was a reduction in scale in 1988.

The other support used by the government is the technical note from Ipea (Institute for Applied Economic Research) released in February, in which the body states that the impacts of the reduction would be similar to the impacts observed in historical readjustments of the minimum wage in Brazil, which would indicate a capacity for absorption of the measure by the labor market.

Opponents support the idea of helping businesspeople and made a series of proposals in the amendments filed. One of them is the 50% exemption on workers' FGTS (Service Time Guarantee Fund) contributions. The proposal also includes "temporary and staggered immunity" from social contributions for new hires and a proportional reduction in contributions to benefits due to incapacity resulting from environmental risks at work.

Congressmen also mention the possibility of deducting Income Tax and CSLL (Social Contribution on Net Profit) and the costs of new jobs created.

Collective agreement in focus
Both government and opposition defend the strengthening of collective agreements, but from different perspectives. For the Executive, it is important that trade unions are at the negotiating table to be able to expand workers' rights.

Opponents understand that the collective agreement must be used to open loopholes in the new law, including to maintain the 44-hour week in accordance with negotiations between business owners and worker representatives by sector.

Prates states that collective negotiations will be important so that each sector can even define the days off for workers. The CLT today advises that the 6×1 rest day should preferably be on Sundays. The rapporteur understands that each representation defines when the second day off would be.

This impasse led opponents to present an alternative proposal. The senator and pre-candidate for the PL Presidency, Flávio Bolsonaro (RJ) defended the possibility that workers could be paid per hour worked and that they could define their scales. The idea is to take a proposal contrary to the end of the 6×1 to the elections.

The president of the Chamber, Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB), is expected to meet with the head of the Executive, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), this Monday (25) to conclude the last possible agreements and try to avoid friction in the final stretch of the discussions.

Motta stated that he wants to vote on the text in the Chamber plenary on Thursday (28).

Analyst explains why the 6x1 scale became the target of criticism | CNN NEW DAY

Source: CNN