Senators organize a new constitutional proposal to adjust work schedules in the oil and gas sector and other special regimes following the end of the 6×1 work pattern.
Right after the promulgation of PEC 221/2019, which ends the traditional 6×1 work schedule, the National Congress is already working behind the scenes to address the impacts of the change in specific sectors of the economy.
The new legislation mandates that the weekly work limit drop to 42 hours in the short term and subsequently reach 40 hours.
However, the transition has sparked intense debates on how to apply the new rules to activities with atypical operational dynamics, such as offshore oil and gas extraction.
The central point of the discussion involves professionals working under confinement regimes, such as offshore platform operators.
For these workers, the shift rotation model—which typically alternates days offshore with extended time off on land—makes the literal application of a strict weekly hour limit unfeasible without structural adjustments to labor legislation.
The debate on differentiated regimes in the Senate
During floor deliberations, Senator Omar Aziz, the rapporteur of the matter, acknowledged that the approved text leaves operational gaps for specific labor categories.
The main concern is to safeguard industrial productivity without penalizing the routine of those working at sea.
Senator Omar Aziz stated:
Take a platform worker, for example, who spends 15 days on the platform and then has to return and spend 15 days on land. It is impossible for him to come back every week from the platform to spend two days off.
In response to this impasse, the MDB leader in the chamber, Senator Eduardo Braga, plans to head a new Constitutional Amendment Proposal.
The initiative aims to provide legal certainty to so-called differentiated regimes, ensuring that the operational specificities of the energy transition and the extractive industry are respected without undermining the core scope of the newly promulgated law.
Divergences within the governing coalition and next steps
The legislative effort, however, lacks absolute consensus among allied coalition lawmakers.
While government factions and ministries consider it prudent to detail sector-by-sector guidelines to avoid labor disputes, other influential figures argue that existing regulations already account for the specificities of offshore workers.
With the political calendar advancing and the second round of elections approaching, the formal submission of new adjustment proposals is expected by late October.
The discussion promises to redefine the contours of labor regulation in the country, balancing demands for better working conditions with the operational viability of strategic sectors for the national productive base.