Lula and Labor Minister Discuss Efforts to End 6x1 Work Schedule and Tax on Imports

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced plans to meet with the presidents of the Chamber of Deputies, Hugo Motta, and the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre, on Wednesday to discuss ending the tax on low value imports, known as the blusinhas tax. During a speech in Rio Grande do Norte, the president stated that this meeting is also intended to unlock the Proposed Amendment to the Constitution (PEC) that would end the 6x1 work scale. Lula called for the election of left wing parliamentarians to clear the Congress and facilitate the approval of these measures.

Labor Minister Luiz Marinho stated that the government has fulfilled its role in advancing the PEC to end the 6x1 scale in the Senate. However, Marinho warned that the proposal risks being ignored if it is not approved this year. He attributed the slow progress of labor projects, including the regulation of app based work, to a lack of mobilization from unions and workers. Marinho also criticized the current fiscal approach of the government's economic team, arguing that the inflation target of 3 percent per year was excessively ambitious and that the timeline for reaching a zero deficit should have been extended to eight or ten years instead of twelve months.

While the government aims to vote on the 6x1 proposal in the first week of September, Marinho opposes compensation measures for companies affected by the change. Meanwhile, the provisional measure regarding the import tax is set to expire on September 8, meaning it must be voted on during the legislative concentrated effort period between August 31 and September 4.