Metalworkers suspend strike at Embraer plant in Brazil

SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Metalworkers at Brazilian planemaker Embraer's Sao Jose dos Campos plant on Tuesday decided to suspend a strike they had started earlier in the day as they campaign for higher wages.

Local union Sindmetal said in a statement the strike had been called off after about three hours because workers felt "intimidated by the large number of police officers and security guards on site."

Sindmetal said it would pitch a new strike with workers on another shift at 3 p.m. local time (1800 GMT).

The metalworkers had voted to go on strike early on Tuesday, saying they had rejected a wage offer from the company.

The union added the move was set to halt production at the factory, but Embraer said in a separate statement that the plant was "operating normally" while negotiations between workers and industry group FIESP continue.

Sindmetal said metalworkers were offered a 4.06% pay raise in line with Brazil's inflation levels. The union declined to specify the raise they were seeking.

According to the union, they had warned Embraer of the potential strike on Sept. 26 but the wage proposal was not sweetened.

Embraer, the world's third-largest planemaker after Boeing and Airbus, said it had given workers' the 4.06% pay raise for those earning up to 10,000 reais ($1,967) a month, and a 406-real raise for salaries above that threshold.

"That is in line with the offer presented by FIESP, which represents companies in the sector. Negotiations between FIESP and the unions continue," Embraer said, adding that its other factories are also operating normally.

($1 = 5.0844 reais)

(Reporting by Gabriel Araujo and Andre Romani; Editing by Steven Grattan and Lisa Shumaker)