BRAZIL (AP) -- A union spokesman says workers at a General Motors plant in Brazil are staging slowdowns to protest the layoff of 800 temporary workers.

Rodrigo Correia says that some 3,000 morning shift workers "paralyzed their assembly line activities for one hour" today.

Another 3,000 evening shift workers are expected to do the same.

He says the union is demanding that General Motors rescind the dismissals and grant job stability to all of its more than 8,000 workers at its Sao Jose dos Campos plant.

He says a full-fledged strike is not being considered "for now."

More slowdowns are scheduled for Thursday.

GM Vice President Jose Carlos Pinheiro Neto tells the Globo TV Network the layoffs were part of efforts to adjust production to slumping demand.

(Copyright ©2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)