Brazil Finance Minister Dario Durigan said Tuesday he is "radically against" any compensation or indemnification for companies following the end of the 6x1 work schedule [1], [2].
The position signals a firm government stance against providing financial relief to businesses as Brazil moves to eliminate a labor model where employees work six consecutive days followed by one day off [2].
Speaking before a special commission of the Chamber of Deputies in Brasília on May 12 [1], [4], Durigan said that the shift represents a generational gain. He noted that other countries implemented similar changes years ago without compensating employers [3].
"Other countries do it, they do it better than we do, they did it many years before us, and there was no indemnification for those who are not the owner of that work hour," Durigan said [3].
The minister's comments address a central point of contention between labor advocates and business interests. While companies argue that the loss of a work day increases operational costs, Durigan said he rejected the premise that the government should offset these losses.
He emphasized that the legal framework of labor should prioritize the worker's time over the employer's convenience. "Employer is not the owner of the work hour," Durigan said [1].
Durigan's testimony comes as the Chamber of Deputies evaluates the transition away from the 6x1 model [4]. His opposition to payouts suggests the administration will seek a legislative path that places the cost of adaptation entirely on the private sector [5].
“"I am radically against indemnification to companies for the end of the 6x1 scale."”
The Finance Minister's refusal to consider corporate compensation indicates that the Brazilian government views the reduction of the work week as a fundamental labor right rather than a negotiable economic variable. By framing the change as a 'generational gain' and citing international precedents, the administration is positioning the 6x1 phase-out as an inevitable modernization of the labor market, likely bracing for significant pushback from the business lobby.
