SKF do Brasil Cancels Traditional Carnival Vacation

Workers at SKF do Brasil (Brazil, a division of SKF AB, Sweden) operations in Camajar, near Sao Paulo, were not given their traditional time off for Carnival summer vacation this year. While there are Carnival (or Carnaval, from the Latin for "farewell to meat") celebrations around the world, the undisputed "world's biggest party" is in Rio de Janeiro, a reasonable trip up the southwest coast from Camajar and Sao Paulo. Carnival lasts four days, this year running from February 21 through 24, the final day yesterday being Mardi Gras ("Fat Tuesday"). Carnival, although essentially a repurposed Pagan celebration, is now observed beginning the Saturday before Lent and continues through Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. Rio's Carnival dates from around 1850. Reports this year put the number of visitors in Rio for Carnival at over 400,000, with over 80,000 of those coming from other countries. In four days, those visitors will spend in excess of $120 million. This year, the count included 2,600 visitors brought to Rio on the world's largest cruise ship, Queen Mary II. Traditionally, most non-retail businesses close for the duration of Carnival in major metropolitan areas of Brazil, including Sao Paulo, but SKF this year was faced with a potentially insurmountable backlog of orders for bearings for industrial market customers. Business at SKF do Brasil has been booming, the Camajar plant running 24 hours and undergoing regular expansion to meet demand. Rather than risk the ire of customers and potential backorders, SKF decided to risk the ire of almost 600 employees asked to work through Carnival.