Survey shows 73% of Brazilians support reduction in working hours
A survey by Nexus Research and Data Intelligence found that 73 percent of Brazilians support the abolition of the 6 to 1 work schedule (six days of work followed by one day off), provided there is no reduction in pay. The poll was conducted in all 27 Brazilian states from January 30 to February 5. A total of 2,021 citizens over the age of 16 were interviewed.
With a reduction in wages, the total number of people in favor of ending the current schedule drops to 28 percent.
Nexus CEO Marcelo Tokarski on Thursday (Feb. 12) told Agência Brasil that the vast majority – 62 percent of those surveyed – are aware there is a debate within the federal government and Congress about the proposal to end the 6 to 1 schedule.
“We have 35 percent right off the bat – meaning one in three people – who have never even heard of this topic. And of the 62 percent who have heard of it, 12 percent are very familiar with it, and 50 percent are somewhat familiar with it,” said Tokarski.
Marcelo Tokarski believes that the main discussion in Congress will focus on reducing working hours, with or without a reduction in pay. In his view, what the survey makes very clear is that almost everyone is in favor of having an extra day off. “You can’t work six days and only have one day off,” he said.
“This is the big issue, because companies argue that working hours should not be reduced, but if there is a reduction, it should be accompanied by a reduction in wages. And workers, in general, do not agree to a reduction in working hours with a reduction in wages,” he noted.
Less money
The problem, Marcelo Tokarski argues, is that in Brazil – a country with low average income and precarious working conditions – few people are willing to take extra time off if it means a reduction in salary.
“I think that’s the conclusion we can draw from the survey, which sheds light on this discussion,” he said.
Voters
The bill to end the 6 to 1 workweek has more support among those who voted for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. “It was a promise, a cause championed by the government as well. It’s just natural that those who voted for Lula tend to support it more,” said Marcelo Tokarski.
The survey reveals that 71 percent of respondents who voted for President Lula in the second round of the 2022 elections are in favor of the bill proposing the end of the 6 to 1 workweek. Another 15 percent are against it, while 15 percent did not express an opinion.
Among those who voted for Jair Bolsonaro in the last presidential election, 53 percent are in favor of ending the 6 to 1 workweek, 32 percent are against it, and 15 percent did not express an opinion.
The bill
The proposed constitutional amendment regarding the change in the work schedule was approved on December 10 last year by the Senate Constitution and Justice Committee, but it still needs to pass two votes in the plenary and two in the lower house, with at least 49 senators and 308 representatives voting in favor.
If approved, the end of the 6 to 1 schedule will be implemented gradually. In the first year, the current rules will remain in place. The following year, the number of weekly rest days will increase from one to two.
As it stands today, the maximum weekly working hours are 44 hours, but in 2027 this may fall to 40 hours. The final cap will be 36 hours per week from 2031 onwards. Previously, it was expected that employers would not be able to reduce workers’ pay to compensate for the new rest time. This point is yet to be voted on by Congress.
The survey asked respondents if they think the proposal will be approved by Congress. A total of 52 percent said yes, compared to 35 percent who said no. Another 13 percent did not express an opinion, and only 12 percent said they understood the amendment well.
