Senate Unblocks 6×1 Workweek And Security PECs After Lula Alcolumbre Meeting

Senate President Davi Alcolumbre ordered the advancement of three high-priority federal proposals on Friday, August 14, following a series of high-level meetings with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The legislative package includes the constitutional amendment to end the 6×1 work scale, the Public Security constitutional amendment, and a bill establishing a national policy for critical minerals.

According to reporting from Brasil 247, the decision directly addresses a core demand from the federal executive branch as political pressure builds ahead of the upcoming electoral calendar. The proposals officially moving forward in the Senate include PEC 221/2019, which tackles the reduction of the work week; PEC 18/2025, focused on public security overhaul; and PL 2780/2024, which creates the regulatory framework for critical and strategic minerals.

The 6×1 work scale proposal aims to reduce current weekly hours from 44 to 40, implementing a phased transition structure. As detailed by Metrópoles, the reduction mandates a drop of two hours sixty days after promulgation, followed by another two-hour reduction twelve months later, totaling a 14-month transition window.

The unfreezing of these major proposals marks a thaw in relations between the executive and legislative branches. Ties had deteriorated following the Senate’s rejection of Jorge Messias for a Supreme Court seat, leaving dialogue stalled for roughly three months. A reconciliation involving Supreme Court justices Alexandre de Moraes and Cristiano Zanin paved the way for meetings between Lula and Alcolumbre.

Despite moving the files, Alcolumbre emphasized that the texts will adhere strictly to standard legislative processes. In an official statement cited by Brasil 247, the Senate President noted, “They are highly complex matters that will follow the ordinary and regimental routine in the Senate, with the necessary analysis and deepening.” Under standard Senate rules, Constitutional Amendments must pass through the Constitution and Justice Committee, chaired by Senator Otto Alencar, before facing five floor discussion sessions and subsequent dual-turn floor votes.

With official campaign periods opening following the announcement, political alliances are racing against an emptying congressional calendar. Government ministers, including Education Minister Camilo Santana, had previously pushed for swift movement before the vote. While administration allies eye potential floor action ahead of the first electoral round, leadership has avoided committing to a rigid voting schedule.

Alcolumbre maintained that the legislative branch retains its independence regarding how it processes executive priorities. “It is up to the Executive to present its priorities and to the National Congress to analyze them with independence and the responsibility to build the best paths for the country,” Alcolumbre declared, as reported by Brasil 247. With committee assignments now underway, the coming legislative sessions will test whether these constitutional reforms can clear the Senate floor before electoral politics consume the capital’s attention.