BRAZIL STRIKES CAUSE GOVERNMENT MAJOR PROBLEMS Strikes by Brazil's 40,000 seamen and by petrol station owners in four states are causing major headaches to a government already wrestling with a debt crisis. A week ago seamen began their first national strike for 25 years and union leaders say they have seriously affected Brazilian exports by making idle 160 ships. On February 20 the Brazilian government suspended interest payments on part of its huge foreign debt following a sharp deterioration in its trade balance. Today the government faced a fresh problem, when most petrol station owners in Sao Paulo, the country's industrial heartland, and in three other states closed down to press for higher fuel prices. There were fears that the combination of the two stoppages could lead to a serious fuel shortage. The seamen's leaders say their strike has halted 48 of the 72 ships belonging to the state oil company Petrobras. The Jornal do Brasil newspaper, in an editorial today entitled "Dangerous Confrontation," said: "From the economic point of view the seamen's strike carries an alarming cost, with grave consequences for the supply situation and for the country's external trade." The seamen are seeking a 275 pct pay rise and have rejected offers of up to 100 pct. Later today the Higher Labour Tribunal in Brasilia is due to rule on whether the seamen's strike is legal. But a senior official of the National Merchant Marine Union, Jorge Luis Leao Franco, told Reuters that the strike would continue regardless of the tribunal's ruling. Labour unrest has worsened in Brazil following the collapse over the last few months of the government's Cruzado Plan price freeze. Prices have been rising at about 15 pct a month. Not only workers but also businessmen are restive. Petrol station owners said many garages had closed indefinitely today in Sao Paulo, Parana, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul. Television reports said that in the Parana state capital of Curitiba petrol stations were only supplying fuel for exceptional cases such as ambulances and funeral processions. Brazilian garage owners want to be allowed to raise their profits on alcohol fuel and petrol sales to 1.26 cruzados (six U.S. Cents) a litre from 0.56 cruzados (about 2.5 cents). Queues formed at petrol stations in Sao Paulo late last night as motorists filled up their tanks while they still could. Political sources said the government of President Jose Sarney was closely following the strikes and the overall fuel supply situation.