Things are heating up in the ongoing picket line action at Victoria Intermodal Container Terminal (VICT). Importers are being heavily impacted as many containers are held up inside the terminal and can’t be retrieved, resulting in delays for Christmas related cargo and some urgent medical goods. VICT management have called on the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) to “come clean” with the details behind the picket line action, and to explain why they are protesting the sacking of a terminal worker who was found to be ineligible to legally work within the terminal. An injunction issued by a judge against the MUA dictating a “100m exclusion zone from the facility” has had no impact on the ongoing action.

Port Botany had a record number of monthly container movements in October, hitting an all time high of 238,790 TEU. The large increase was driven by import volumes which were up by 16.8% year on year. This reflects what has been a very busy peak season for imports into Australia. Figures show that whilst 121,807 TEU were imported into Sydney during October, 116,252 TEU were exported. That sounds great for Australian exports, but of those containers exported 73,086 TEU were empty containers being repositioned back overseas.

There is a contuing trend in Australian supply chain management for importers to oursource their warehousing requirements to 3PL operators. Tomax Logistics runs and manages warehouses in all Australian ports and can assist you with your storage, picking and packing, and distribution needs. Our 50,000sqft facility in Noble Park is fully racked with over 5,000 pallet positions, operated by our team of 6 full time employees plus casuals. If you would like to know more about how you could save money by outsourcing your warehousing please contact us via email to warehouse@tomax.com.au.

A joint Federal Police and Australian Border Force operation has seized $105 million worth of cocaine which was suggled into Australia in cans of cocoa powder. The cargo, which weighed 300 kgs, was brought into the country from Mexico via airfreight. The consignment was released by Customs and delivered to a business in Altona West. It wasn't until a Mexican man linked to the importation was arrested at Melbourne Airport for posession of a small quantity of cocaine that the investigation started and led them to find the imported goods. Two Mexican men have now been arrested and will face charges relating to the importation of a commercial quantity of cocaine.

Shopping For A Husband

A store that sells husbands has just opened where a woman may go to choose a husband from among many men. The store is composed of 6 floors, and the men increase in positive attributes as the shopper ascends the flights.

There is, however, a catch. As you open the door to any floor you may choose a man from that floor, but if you go up a floor, you cannot go back down except to exit the building.

So a woman goes to the shopping centre to find a husband.

On the first floor the sign on the door reads:

Floor 1 - These men have jobs.

The woman reads the sign and says to herself, "Well, that's better than my last boyfriend, but I wonder what's further up?" So up she goes.

The second floor sign reads:

Floor 2 - These men have jobs and love kids.

The woman remarks to herself, "That's great, but I wonder what's further up?" And up she goes again.

The third floor sign reads:

Floor 3 - These men have jobs, love kids and are extremely good looking.

"Hmmm, better" she says. "But I wonder what's upstairs?"

The fourth floor sign reads:

Floor 4 - These men have jobs, love kids, are extremely good looking and help with the housework.

"Wow!" exclaims the woman, "very tempting. BUT, there must be more further up!" And again she heads up another flight.

The fifth floor sign reads:

Floor 5 - These men have jobs, love kids, are extremely good looking, help with the housework and have a strong romantic streak.

"Oh, mercy me! But just think... what must be awaiting me further on?" So up to the sixth floor she goes.

The sixth floor sign reads:

Floor 6 - You are visitor 6,875,953,012 to this floor. There are no men on this floor. This floor exists solely as proof that women are impossible to please.

Congratulations to Patrick from Hellweg International who won last week's caption contest with his entry: "Woo hoo...I just got a swipe right on Doggie Tinder". See the updated photo below. Patrick won a wine pack for his efforts.