	striking brazilian seamen hold pay talks striking brazilian seamen who say they have made idle s and halted brazilian exports today held pay talks in rio de janeiro with labour minister almir pazzianotto union officials said jorge luis leao franco a senior official of the national merchant marine union told reuters he was optimistic the talks would lead to an end of the stoppage which began last friday brazil s seamen are seeking a pay rise of pct the union official said the strike had halted a total of vessels including in brazil s main port santos and about more in rio de janeiro abroad six s lay idle in the netherlands spain venezuela france and south africa he said economic analysts said the strike was of serious concern to the government which has already had to suspend interest payments on part of brazil s foreign debt following a drastic deterioration in the country s trade balance the head of the national merchant marine authority murilo rubens habbema was quoted in today s gazeta mercantil newspaper as saying that if the strike continued foreign s could be authorized to transport brazilian exports brazil is living through a crisis at the moment and it is not conceivable that exports be hit he said but even using foreign s we must not forget that we are going to lose foreign exchange paying freight charges abroad and all this through the fault of the seamen rubens habbema said a spokesman for the port of santos which has been the scene of labour unrest and congestion in recent months said movement of s out of the port was running at about half its normal level of s a day he said a total of s were either waiting at anchor on moored in the harbour reuter 
