Pacheco defends quinquennium for Justice, but conditions the end of super wages

Senate President Rodrigo Pacheco (PSD-MG) once again defended the controversial proposal that grants trinkets to the salaries of judges and prosecutors. But, on the other hand, he indicated that he will condition his advance in the Senate to the approval of another bill that seeks to eliminate super-wages.

Pacheco said that the proposal with the new benefits “corrects injustices” and that “it is reasonable” to increase salaries for length of service.

PEC 63, called the Quinquennium PEC, was introduced in 2013 and spent the last few years practically forgotten in the Senate. Recently, it began to receive a series of amendments, which evidences the emergence of debate on the subject.

The main point is the addition to monthly salaries of 5% subsidy every five years, and up to seven increases can be achieved throughout the career. In addition, it also assures members of the judiciary and the Public Prosecutor’s Office that their previous legal performance —such as in the legal profession— can be used for the purposes of counting the time of exercise.

In an event with magistrates on Thursday (12), the president had announced that the proposal would be voted on “in the coming days”. The same tone was used in the defense of the proposal during an interview with the program Roda Viva, on TV Cultura.

This Wednesday (18), the president of the National Congress adopted a more moderate tone on the processing of the proposal, although he returned to assume his defense.

Pacheco said that the proposal will be guided “in due course” and that the entire rite will be “within normality”, indicating that it will not speed up the process – although behind the scenes some senators point out that there is pressure for the matter to move forward.

The day before, Pacheco received the president of the STF (Federal Supreme Court), Luiz Fux, and later Minister Gilmar Mendes. Both participated in the solemn session of the enactment of the PEC that increases the maximum age to enter higher courts. The senator denied that he had discussed the issue of five-year terms with the ministers of the Supreme Court.

The president of the Senate indicated that the proposal with the trinkets for the judiciary and the Public Ministry will only advance after or concomitantly with the vote on another bill that aims to restrict super salaries.

“The important thing is the logic that we also tend to vote on the bill that regulates the extract, the indemnity funds, which seeks to end once and for all the possibility of the so-called super wages in Brazil”, said the president of the Senate.

“This is the main logic, of regulating these indemnity funds with clarity and limitations, respecting the constitutional remuneration ceiling. And, on the other hand, on the other hand, [aprovar] the structuring of the career through the additional time of service, which is a logic that seems to me to structure the career well and aims to encourage professional careers of this nature and corrects an injustice, which is that someone at the beginning of their career has the same remuneration as a professional at the end of his career”, he added.

The Senate president was also asked whether the benefits for judges and prosecutors would not set a precedent for other categories to seek restructuring, at a time of fiscal and budgetary difficulties in the country.

“I don’t think so. Whether the PEC or the PL [projeto de lei dos supersalários] they close the door to excesses, distortions and excesses and structure careers. It is very reasonable to have the increase for length of service and not for the creation of any aid that sometimes has no justification, book aid or any other, these are measures that close the door of distortions “, he concluded.