The president of the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre, indicated that the Proposed Amendment to the Constitution (PEC) that foresees the end of the 6x1 work schedule will not have an automatic vote in the House plenary. The proposal must go through at least one thematic committee and will still be debated in public hearings before the final analysis by the senators.
Despite the more extensive procedure, allies of the Senate president believe the proposal will not be shelved and should be voted on before this year's elections. The assessment behind the scenes is that blocking the measure could create political damage for parliamentarians seeking reelection.
The amendment was approved by the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday night, just hours after receiving approval from a special committee created to discuss the issue.
Senators criticize the speed of the vote in the Chamber of Deputies.
Some senators believe that the bill's passage through the Chamber of Deputies was rushed, reducing the time available for a more in-depth analysis in the Senate.
Even so, members of the Senate leadership are ruling out blocking the progress of the constitutional amendment. The concern is that any delay could fuel popular campaigns against parliamentarians who oppose the proposal.
This measure is considered one of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's main strategies to strengthen his popularity during the election period.
Permanent committees must analyze the text.
Among the scenarios being considered for the bill's progress is the creation of a special committee similar to the one established in the Chamber of Deputies. However, the most likely alternative is that the text will be sent for analysis by the existing permanent committees in the Senate.
In this model, the proposed constitutional amendment must go through the Constitution and Justice Committee (CCJ) and may also be analyzed by the Economic Affairs Committee (CAE).
The chairman of the CCJ (Committee on Constitution, Justice and Citizenship), Otto Alencar, stated that the proposal will follow the House's normal procedure and guaranteed that there will be no attempt to block the discussion.
"David won't hold back. He'll follow the normal course," the senator stated.
Senate majority may support reduction of working hours.
Otto Alencar stated that he was in favor of the proposal and recalled that the CCJ (Committee on Constitution, Justice and Citizenship) approved, in December 2025, a PEC (Proposed Constitutional Amendment) that reduced the weekly working hours from 44 to 36 hours, without a transition period.
According to him, the text only failed to move forward because it depended on being included on the Senate plenary agenda.
"I see that there is a majority in the Senate to approve this PEC. This is an agenda item for the working class," the congressman emphasized.
The proposed amendment establishes a 40-hour work week with two days off.
The proposal approved by the Chamber was negotiated between the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hugo Motta, and the federal government.
The text foresees the implementation of two days off per week later this year, in addition to the gradual reduction of the work week from 44 to 40 hours over a period of 14 months.
The proposed amendment to end the 6x1 work schedule has become one of the central themes of the labor debate in the country and is expected to mobilize intense discussions in the Senate in the coming weeks.
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