A strike at a new, large hydroelectric power station, majority owned by GDF Suez (GSZ.FR), has stopped construction at the so-called Jirau mill since Tuesday, the company said Wednesday.

Workers are asking for better working conditions and an 8% pay raise while building one of two hydroelectric dams along the Madeira River in Rondonia state, northwestern Brazil.

Jirau is owned by GDF Suez, but the other, called Santo Antonio, is run by Santo Antonio Energia, a consortium majority owned by privately held Brazilian construction company Odebrecht.

Eletrobras (EBR) subsidiaries have majority stakes in both the Jirau and Santo Antonio projects. And Cemig (CIG), a state run energy company from Minas Gerais, has a minority stake in Santo Antonio Energia.

-By Kenneth Rapoza, Dow Jones Newswires, 5511-2847-4541, kenneth.rapoza@dowjones.com