President and candidate for reelection Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) failed to reach an agreement with Congress to pass the proposed constitutional amendment (PEC) that would end the 6x1 work schedule. With only one step left before promulgation, the Senate floor did not vote on the initiative during the last week of voting before the elections.
The Congress leadership, which has been drawing closer to Lula during the electoral period, has been trying to avoid confrontation with the government. The stance adopted by the speakers of the House, Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB), and the Senate, Davi Alcolumbre (União-AP), is that Lula can gain even more political mileage from the measure if it is approved after the first round of elections.
The assessment of congressional leaders is that the Workers' Party candidate can use the approval as a trump card in a likely second-round scenario, in which Lula is expected to face a closely contested race against senator and PL presidential candidate Flavio Bolsonaro (RJ). The promise to end the 6x1 schedule was one of the main campaign platforms of Lula.
