TST minister hopes for swift vote on Ports Bill

More efficient, competitive, and safer port facilities, and faster implementation of projects: that is the aim of the update to the Ports Law (Alexsander Ferraz/AT)

Minister of the Superior Labor Court (TST), Douglas Alencar, who chaired the Commission of Jurists for the Legal Review of the Operation of Ports and Port Facilities (Ceportos), believes that Bill (PL) 733/2025, authored by federal deputy Leur Lomanto Júnior (União-BA), aimed at amending the Ports Law (12.815/2013), will be voted on later this year.

“The work carried out by Ceportos is the result of extensive discussions with all segments of the port sector. We identified the main issues that need to be addressed, with the goal of ensuring greater efficiency and competitiveness for the national economy”, said Alencar.

Bill 733/2025 was introduced in February of this year, based on the preliminary draft submitted to the Chamber of Deputies by Ceportos in November 2024. Last week, Deputy Léo Prates (PDT-BA) was appointed as the bill’s rapporteur by the Labor Comission (CTRAB) of the Chamber of Deputies.

The bill will also need to pass through other committees, such as Economic Development, Travel and Transport, Financial and Taxation, Constitution and Justice and Citizenship.

The Bill In the bill’s justification, Leur Lomanto Júnior highlights the work of the jurist committee. “The proposal to revise the legal framework of ports developed by the committee is based on principles such as consensualism, legal certainty, free enterprise, appreciation of labor, decentralization, and debureaucratization. The aim is to promote a more efficient, competitive, and safer port sector, reducing risks for projects, increasing investor confidence, and ensuring the well-being of workers and local communities”, he writes.

When contacted by the reporting team, the deputy stated only that “we are awaiting the creation of a special committee to begin discussions.”

A Tribuna also attempted to contact the President of the Câmara, Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB), but received no response.

Regional Deputies Federal deputy Rosana Valle (PL) stated that updating the legislation is important to meet current foreign trade demands and to strengthen the international competitiveness of the Port of Santos and other Brazilian ports. “It is essential, however, that this change does not end up harming, in the future, the rights of port workers”, she emphasized. “I am closely following the proposals under discussion in this bill, such as the flexibility in labor hiring and the creation of the Port Work Provider Company (EPTP).”

She mentioned that discussions “are underway at the Ports and Airports Ministry (MPor), under the leadership of Minister Silvio Costa Filho, who established a forum with representatives from both employers and workers” to debate proposals for changes to port legislation.

“I will wait for the conclusions of this forum, expected by the end of this month, and will also closely monitor the discussions when they reach the Travel and Transport Commission of the Chamber, of which I have been a full member since 2019”, Rosana added.

It is worth noting that MPor has criticized the proposal, arguing that it impacts port workers, lacked sufficient dialogue, and believes that — under its current form — the bill will not move forward.

Federal deputy Paulo Alexandre Barbosa (PSDB) said that the bill is an opportunity to modernize the Brazilian port sector, making it more competitive while also protecting workers’ rights and fostering dialogue.

“Since February, as a member of the Director Board, I have been addressing this issue with President Hugo Motta, emphasizing the importance of this bill not only for the sector and our region but for the country as a whole, and he is well aware of that. I have been working to prioritize this topic on the Chamber's agenda.”