#euro freights

[skin-quilt]

WHERE'S EURO?

PHOTO BY SKIN QUILT PRODUCTIONS

[spancostorage]

5 Compelling Reasons to Choose Plastic Pallets Over Wooden Pallets

In the world of logistics and material handling, the choice between plastic and wooden pallets is a critical decision that can significantly impact efficiency, durability, and overall operational costs. Plastic pallet manufacturers play a crucial role in helping businesses find the best quality plastic pallets that meet their specific needs.  While both materials have their merits, plastic pallets stand out for several compelling reasons. In this article, we explore five key advantages that make plastic pallets a superior choice compared to their wooden counterparts.

Durability and Longevity:

One of the primary reasons to opt for plastic pallets is their exceptional durability and longevity. Plastic pallets are resistant to moisture, chemicals, insects, and fungi, ensuring they maintain their structural integrity over time. Unlike wooden pallets, which can splinter, warp, or decay, plastic pallets are more robust and have a longer lifespan. This durability translates to reduced maintenance costs and a lower frequency of replacements, making plastic pallets a cost-effective investment in the long run.

Hygiene and Cleanliness:

Industries such as food and pharmaceuticals, where hygiene is paramount, find a natural ally in plastic pallets. Plastic is non-absorbent, meaning it does not absorb liquids, odors, or contaminants. This makes plastic pallets easy to clean and sanitize, meeting stringent hygiene standards. Wooden pallets, on the other hand, can absorb liquids and harbor bacteria, making them less suitable for applications where cleanliness is crucial.

Consistency in Size and Weight:

Plastic pallets are manufactured with precision using molds, resulting in consistent size and weight specifications. This uniformity is essential for automated material handling systems, ensuring seamless integration with conveyor systems, forklifts, and other equipment. In contrast, wooden pallets may vary in size and weight due to natural inconsistencies in wood, potentially causing operational challenges in logistics and warehousing.

Sustainability and Recyclability:

Plastic pallets have evolved to become more environmentally friendly, with many being produced from recycled materials and being fully recyclable themselves. Additionally, plastic pallets are often designed for multiple uses, further contributing to sustainability by reducing the demand for new raw materials. As global concerns about environmental impact continue to rise, businesses are increasingly considering the eco-friendly aspects of their operations, making plastic pallets an attractive choice.

Compliance with International Regulations:

For businesses engaged in international trade, adhering to regulations governing wood packaging materials, such as ISPM 15, can be a cumbersome process. Plastic pallets, being exempt from these regulations, simplify the shipping and transportation of goods across borders. This not only streamlines logistics but also eliminates the need for additional treatments or certifications required for wooden pallets, saving time and resources.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the decision to choose plastic pallets over wooden pallets goes beyond mere material preference; it involves considering the specific needs of the industry, the nature of the products being transported, and the long-term cost implications. With their durability, cleanliness, consistency, sustainability, and international compliance, plastic pallets emerge as a versatile and superior solution for modern logistics and warehousing operations. As businesses strive for efficiency, safety, and environmental responsibility, plastic pallets increasingly prove to be the optimal choice in the dynamic landscape of material handling.

[blackdollette]

As a Lana girl i biblically need Euronymous(Rory’s so meowww) because I’m trying to live my brooklyn baby fantasy so can you write something about us backstage of a show smut fluff idc but give us Brooklyn baby vibes specifically my boyfriends pretty cool but he’s not as cool as me i will actually die while reading this🙏🙏🙏🙏 also your stuff is AMAZING<3

thank you for the request!!!

"my boyfriend's in a band." | euronymous

brooklyn baby. - lana del rey

✮⋆˙ [tags] @lustkillers @mayathepsychic1999 @si1nful-symph0ny @vanlisbon @livingdead-reilly @oliviah-25 @lankysimp@auggiethecreator @livingdead-materialgirl @monkeyfart@imoonkiss @nom-nommmm1 @xxbl00d-cl0txx @k1ll3rh0rr0r @wildathevrt @mommymilkers0526 @greenxgloss @wild-rose-35

⊹₊⋆ pairing: r!euronymous x female!reader

⊹₊⋆ word count: 562

⊹₊⋆ contents: porn without plot.

“...did you see me out there, baby..? did you like the show…?”

euronymous’ curled fingers dug deeper into your open mouth, your thick saliva bubbling down his calloused fingers and bangled wrist. the answer to his question went unspoken, but your moans and whimpers told him all he needed to know.

“t-they fuckin’ loved me, angel… and i was playing just for you…”

you writhed underneath his toned body, the backstage couch becoming saturated with your spit and tears. his hand had a firm, rough grip on your hip, kneading the soft skin of your ass as his throbbing cock worked on your sopping pussy. he slipped his fingers out of your mouth, leaving a wet trail behind as they wandered down to your puffy clit. you hissed at the contact, raspy chokes and sobs escaping your throat. he rubbed sloppy, wet circles onto you, his thrusts only picking up the pace as he brought his lips to the entrance of your ear.

“can’t be too loud, baby. i’d be a shame if we got caught, wouldn’t it..?”

your hand found the back of his head, grabbing it with all the force you could muster before pulling him into a messy kiss. he fed his deep groans into your mouth, the vibrations travelling through your veins. your tongues swirled together, dancing a sinful choreography as the tip of his leaky cock hit you in the cervix. you jumped, your heart racing as he poked at your sweet spot. 

“...is that the spot, baby..? yeah..? c’mon, i wanna hear you scream… i want all those fuckers to know that you’re all mine.”

the brutal abuse on your hole only escalated from there. he fed on your squeaks and mewls like a starved beast, toying with your pussy consistently. occasionally, he’d even chuckle at the audible noises of your wetness. it was music to his ears.

he paused his vigorous motions momentarily, taking a second to pick you up from your position. he sat down on the sodden couch, placing your naked body on his lap. you raised an eyebrow, confusion written all across your mascara stained face. 

“i wanna see your pretty face when you cum, angel.”

he muttered, giving his cock a few lazy pumps before slipping it back into your tight entrance. he tossed his head back and groaned lowly as your tight walls squeezed him once again. he wasted no time beginning to buck his hips up into yours, his fingers leaving crescent-shaped imprints on your ass.

you bit your lip in a failed attempt to suppress all the moans that threatened to break free. this was it. you felt your guts contorting around his rod, your heartbeat syncing with his rapid thrusts. your hands found his shoulders, digging them into his pale flesh as you exclaimed.

“euro..! i-i can’t!”

your words tore through the paper thin walls. he buried his face into your neck, biting the tender flesh softly as the orgasm came over you like a freight train. a waterfall of fluid exited your gushing hole at a million miles a minute. it was no use holding back anymore. you scream out, your hole milking him for everything he had as lewd noises echoed in the room.

no matter how well euronymous played on staged, it was nothing compared to the show he had in here with you.

author's note:

[stephensmithuk]

The Valley of Fear: Sherlock Holmes Discourses

Camberwell is an area 2 3/4 miles SE of Charing Cross, being in Surrey until the 1889 creation of the London County Council. As a rapidly expanding area, it would have been hard to find trace 'Porlock'.

The French franc throughout its history from 1795 (when it replaced the livre) to 2002 (France completing its move to the euro) had several periods of rapid inflation and government devaluation, resulting in some exchange rates with other currencies that were at joke level. In 1960, the currency was revalued with the "new franc" being equivalent to 100 of the old ones, but the franc was one of the weaker currencies in Europe in the 1990s, although not quite as bad as the Italian or Turkish lira.

Jonathan Wild was a man who ran a major criminal empire who posing as a thief-taker:

The wage for the Prime Minister was £5,000 a year from 1830 to 1930. Sir Keir Starmer is entitled to £172,153, but doesn't take all of it:

Regular MPs were not paid at all until 1911; which basically limited the Commons to those were already wealthy or had support from a trade union.

Trespass is not in itself a criminal offence in England, merely a civil wrong, but picking a lock to get into a place would make it a criminal matter.

Deutsche Bank, the largest bank in Germany, was formed in 1870 - it today has two of Frankfurt-am-Main's 20 skyscrapers (Germany has 21 in total).

London Victoria is connected to Sussex by the Oxted line, then part of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. It is today in the Southern network. I will cover more on this later.

"Milk train" was a term for a very early train, these would carry churns of milk in the guard's van and/or (I guess) in dedicated freight wagons, as well as passenger loads. Milk would move from the 1930s onwards to being carried in dedicated tanks, until road transport replaced them, with the last milk trains running in 1981.

While the Pinkerton Detective Agency had adopted an eye as its logo by this time - after an operation to escort Abraham Lincoln to his inauguration where the world's first female detective, Kate Warne, likely pulled an all-nighter - the use of the term "private eye" to refer to someone like Holmes originates in the 1930s. Here it is referring to the fact the message is for Inspector MacDonald's personal reading.

[mbta-unofficial]

Heh

my “Euro Vision” is nationalizing class 1 freight companies

[sukimas]

Kela (in total, not just college; Finland's social security program) costs ~16.9 billion euros per year. Finland has ~5.6 million people. Therefore, Kela costs about 3015 euro (or 3285 dollars) per person. A United States equivalent of Kela (properly managed) would cost 1.09 trillion dollars per year.

The total cost of the US Social Security program for the year 2021 was $1.145 trillion or about 5 percent of U.S. GDP.

Even assuming scaling administration costs, US Social Security provides nowhere near the number and amount of benefits Kela does. There is no reason that its cost should be 105% of what Kela's is (scaled for size).

The United States isn't impossible to make into a welfare state because the money is not available. The United States is impossible to make into a welfare state because its administration should be the laughingstock of the world for how poorly it is managed and run. We can only manage to stop paying more for less if we actually realize this and start taking steps to reduce the administrative bloat that is present in all of our institutions, from the local high school to the Federal Reserve.

A better world is possible! Know this: it is only so if you know the causes of this world's failures, instead of shadowboxing against Elon Musk. Billionaires should not exist- but neither should a Social Security system that costs 105% the price of one that also provides health insurance and university. This isn't just from employee number scaling, either- the Social Security Administration of the US has 60,000 employees. Kela has 6,000. The US has a population 59.3x the size of Finland, with a social security administration only 10x larger. By all accounts, Kela should cost more per head!

The United States is not a "failed state"- that means something very different- but the things it has achieved in the past (interstate highway system, post office, incredible freight rail, scientific innovations) are not achievable now. Institutions drag their feet and chase ghosts instead of looking to their more successful contemporaries. The US is not a failed state, but it is certainly a failure of a state.

I'll leave the post on this anecdote: The Washington DC Metro's Silver Line- connecting the capital of the nation to the international airport regularly used by the President of the United States, and arguably the singular piece of publicly funded infrastructure of most import to Congress- received a funding contract for line completion in 2014. The line was scheduled to open in 2018.

In actuality, the line opened in November of 2022.

[copperbadge]

Hi Sam, could you share the timeline for the Shivadverse please? Because the epilogues tend to be little time jump and the books overlap, and Twelve Points confused me a bit in regards to when it takes place, ngl. Like, Eddie went for the coronation, stayed, he and Greg dated for a year(?) and get engaged. Are still engaged when Jess and Noah arrive. Are married during Euro Vision, but engaged (?) when the song is written at the start. And Tiger happens somewhere too, but Alanna and Jerry haven't gotten married yet...

I would love the proper chain of events! How much time has it been since Eddie's arrival and the end of Twelve Points?

Oh sure! I have it all written out (more or less) so find below the cut.

You do kind of have to squint a little in places; they're cramming a lot into a short amount of time and I was deliberately vague with real dates because it makes it easier to sort of slide stuff in, and with the first three books I was shuffling events around a bit. Spring 2022 saw a lot of action and fall 2023 is looking to be the same. :D

To short-answer your question, between the start of Fete For A King (February-ish 2021, don't look too hard at that) and the end of Twelve Points (May 2022) it's been about fifteen months. If we count to the true end of Twelve Points in the epilogue (November-ish 2022) it's been a year and nine months. By the time we hit the end of the planned-out novels (Spring 2024) it will have been three years.

SPRING 2021

Events of Fete For A King (except epilogue): Eddie arrives to cater the coronation; Gregory and Eddie begin a relationship. Michaelis retires and Gregory is crowned king.

Pre-LATT: Jerry is diagnosed with ADHD.

SUMMER 2021

Pre-LATT: Jerry begins medication for ADHD at the start of Infinite Jes.

Events of Infinite Jes (except epilogue): Jes and Noah arrive. Jes and Michaelis begin a relationship in late summer.

FALL 2021

Prologue of Twelve Points: Noah begins school at the Maritime Academy as a Junior. Caleb sees him and Michaelis interacting and composes Young Prince.

Events of the short story Love Like A Freight Train: Gregory and Eddie get frisky in the bedroom.

SPRING 2022:

Events of the short story A Pizza For Purim in March: Eddie makes pizza for Jes and Michaelis.

Epilogues of Fete for a King and Infinite Jes, plus short story Theophile and The Kings: Gregory and Eddie become engaged at Gregory's coronation anniversary ball (April-ish, possibly a bit earlier). Michaelis gives them 18 months before he starts pestering them about grandchildren.

Events of The Lady And The Tiger: Alanna and Jerry travel to Galia; they begin dating and become engaged. Ofelia Ansevali is installed as Duchess.

LATE SPRING/EARLY SUMMER 2022:

Beginning of The Twelve Points Of Caleb Canto: Caleb wins the National Final and meets the royal family; Buck comes to Fons-Askaz to write his next album.

Events of the short story The New Duke: Eddie is made a duke. Michaelis reminds Gregory that they have 16 months left before he starts pestering them about grandchildren.

Events of the short story Gold Digger: Jes fights with their parents about dating Michaelis (prior to attending Eurovision in Turin).

SUMMER 2022:

Ending of The Twelve Points of Caleb Canto: In May, Caleb and Buck compete against each other at Eurovision National Finals.

Noah officially/legally becomes a prince.

PROSPECTIVE: Beginning of The Royals And The Ramblers; Eddie, Gregory, Michaelis, Jes, and Noah visit the Rambler family in California, escorted by Georgie. Monday Rambler is asked to be the royal Surrogate. Monday becomes pregnant circa July.

FALL 2022:

Epilogue of The Twelve Points of Caleb Canto: Buck returns from touring to spend the winter in Fons-Askaz. Noah becomes first mate of the Dychev.

PROSPECTIVE: Royals/Ramblers: Georgie begins a relationship with Monday Rambler. Eddie and Gregory meet and adopt Ioanna. Eddie and Gregory have a huge state wedding.

Events of Cryptofauna Of The Shivadh North: Eddie and Gregory go on vacation and hunt a Svichwurm.

Now, all of that has been written and all but the start of Royals/Ramblers has been published or at least posted. The rest of 2023 is planned out as well so:

SPRING 2023:

PROSPECTIVE: Ending of The Royals And The Ramblers (around late April). The novel spans almost a year, since it begins prior to Monday's pregnancy and ends shortly after she gives birth.

SUMMER 2023:

PROSPECTIVE: The Chicken Salad Wars: Simon LeFevre begins publishing a recipe blog and is recruited into helping plan the Reclamation Day festival. Spans roughly April-August.

PROSPECTIVE: Noah will graduate from the Maritime Academy in June 2023. In theory, if I write his gap year novel, it would begin somewhere around summer 2023. I may not write this one in chronological order (IE, I may write other books set later first, then come back to this one).

FALL 2023:

PROSPECTIVE: Beginning of the yet-untitled Football Novel; Felix Giddings begins building Shivadh RFC and recruiting players for the team's first 11. Spans the midseason gap and will likely end in spring 2024.

PROSPECTIVE: Events of the yet-untitled Roman Ruin Novel; crews hired by Jerry to clear and cultivate portions of the Shivadlakia estate uncover a Roman floor. Unclear how long this novel will span but likely a relatively short period of time.

There are also several stories in the pipeline that have indeterminate dates assigned, but presumably they are further out.

[beardedmrbean]

INF Infra OÜ, a subsidiary of the listed Estonian investment company Infortar Group, signed a contract with Rail Baltic Estonia OÜ on Nov. 11, 2024, to construct a section of the Rail Baltic main line between the small towns of Kangru and Saku in Harju County.

The contract is valued at 67.2 million euros, VAT is not included and the work is scheduled to last 40 months, with completion expected by March 2028. Payment for work will be made periodically in accordance with the volume of work completed.

«A major challenge will be constructing the railway embankment through the Männiku bog. As we aim to minimize environmental impact during construction, we plan to employ highly innovative solutions that have not yet been used in Estonia's infrastructure projects. These proposed embankment solutions are more environmentally friendly than traditional construction methods,» stated Robert Sinikas, member of the management board of INF Infra.

Rail Baltic Estonia's goal is to establish a modern high-speed rail connection by 2030, linking Estonia with Latvia, Lithuania, and the rest of Europe. The Rail Baltic project promotes regional cooperation, enhances passenger and freight transport options, and supports an environmentally friendly and sustainable transportation system across the Baltics.

The transaction is not considered as a transaction beyond everyday economic activities, nor it is regarded as a transaction with related persons, under the «Requirements for Issuers» section of the NASDAQ Tallinn Stock Exchange rules. The members of the supervisory board and the management board of Infortar have no personal interest in the transaction in any other way.

Infortar operates in seven countries, the company's main fields of activity are maritime transport, energy and real estate. Infortar owns a 68.47 percent stake in listed Estonian shipper Tallink Grupp, a 100 percent stake in energy company Eesti Gaas and a versatile and modern real estate portfolio of approximately 116,000 square meters. In addition to the three main areas of activity, Infortar also operates in construction and mineral resources, agriculture, printing, taxi business and other areas. A total of 105 companies belong to the Infortar group -- 96 subsidiaries, four affiliated companies and five subsidiaries of affiliated companies. Excluding affiliates, Infortar employs 6,108 people.

[waywarddefendortraveler]

I am Muhammad Maher from northern Gaza, displaced from Al-Yadir Al-Balah and displaced from Deir Al-Balah Ansarat and now Ansarat has been informed of the evacuation and the place is dangerous and the transportation freight for the displacement costs 400 euros. Please help urgently.https://gofund.me/48dc691d

[awesome-casuallyfamouscollector]

The EU’s €5.8BN Railway to Secure Europe

Futurology

The EU is building a 5.8 billion euro rail network that will help secure the Baltic states and impact the environment. Rail Baltica, a massive planned railway, will provide the first large-scale standard gauge railway in the Baltics, helping connect the regions’ economy to the rest of the EU and western Europe. It will have seven international passenger stations and three multimodal freight terminals to integrate with the current Russian gauge rail system. The railway will provide numerous benefits, including faster commute times, safer travel, better integration with the European Union, job creation, and greater security for the Baltic states. Currently, the railway is still in the design phase but is close to beginning construction. Planned to open to the public between 2028 and 2030, Rail Baltica will transform the region(..)

P.S. This railway project is very important for the security and economic growth of the Baltic region and the whole of Europe...

[palmoilnews]

European vegoils- Palm oil follows lower rival oils, demand worries GDYNIA, November 21 (LSEG) - Palm oil on the European vegetable oils market continued lower on Thursday, tracking Malaysian palm oil futures which were pressured down by rival oils and weak demand. A rally in the U.S.dollar also weighed. Palm oil was offered $25 per tonne higher for spot, while the rest of deliveries were offered between $15 and $20 per tonne lower with the stronger U.S. dollar weighing on products quoted in that currency. Malaysian palm oil futures closed between 9 and 51 ringgit a tonne down, weighed down by weak demand sentiment and a sharp dip in rival CBOT soyoil and Dalian oil. Tanker freight for moving 40,000 tonnes of palm oil and by-products from Malaysia or/and Indonesia ports toward the European port of Rotterdam was assessed by LSEG at $81.70 per tonne on November 15, $0.10 or 0.12% up from last week's value. CBOT soyoil futures were between 0.29 and 1.33 cent per pound down at around 1730 GMT along with other edible oils and concerns about biofuel policy in the US. The strong U.S. dollar also weighed. Asking prices for EU rapeoil were between 25 and 35 euros a tonne lower, following a drop in European rapeseed futures and weakness in rival edible oil. Rally in the dollar limited losses. Lauric oils were offered between $7.50 and $25 a tonne lower from Wednesday, following weaker rival oils.

[head-post]

Carola Bridge collapse highlights German infrastructure at risk

The collapse of the Carola Bridge (Carolabrücke) in Dresden showed Germany’s infrastructure appears to be in a poor state, slowing down travel and costing the economy billions.

The collapse of the Dresden bridge shocked many residents of Germany. However, the incident ended without any casualties. The latest collapse is not an isolated case. For instance, throughout the country, bridges are collapsing, railway tracks are rotting, and 100-year-old locks are refusing to operate. The ageing infrastructure in modern Germany is a much greater problem than just an inconvenience.

Sahra Wagenknecht, head of BSW, said regarding the incident: “Fortunately, no one was injured when parts of the Carolabrücke collapsed. Finally, there must be investment measures – repair of dilapidated bridges, roads and schools, and to achieve a resolution of the debt brake must be reformed.”

One in three municipal bridges thus needs to undergo replacement repairs or rebuilding. While things are not much better on motorways and federal highways, slowing mobility, costing the economy billions and putting citizens at risk. Some 4,000 bridges remain in need of repair or replacement.

Tim-Oliver Müller, managing director of the General Association of the German Construction Industry (HDB), said in the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung the following:

The state of our infrastructure is alarming. We have a huge reconstruction backlog of 372 billion euros.

Thomas Puls, transport economist at the German Economic Institute (IW Cologne), attributes the current state of the infrastructure to the fact that in West Germany many motorways date from 1960 to 1980, meaning they have been in use for about 50 years. In addition, there are trucks on the roads today that can be ten tonnes heavier than they were back then. Today, according to him, the main transport routes lie to Eastern Europe and the Balkans.

Not only bridges are collapsing

However, not only bridges and motorways are collapsing. The railway association Allianz pro Schiene estimates the backlog of railway infrastructure reconstruction at 92 billion euros. As some routes have fallen into neglect for years, the railway is organising the repairs differently this year. Instead of repairing individual damages in stages, the necessary construction work on the railway network should now proceed in a concentrated manner on individual sections. The railway has called the new concept general renovation. As part of the overall reconstruction, 4,000 kilometres of track on 40 routes in Germany aim to complete a comprehensive renewal by 2030.

Apart from roads and railways, the waterways also have significant damage, as many of Germany’s locks date back to the imperial era, Müller said.

The 100-kilometre-long Kiel Canal is the busiest man-made maritime shipping route in the world, but the canal is in a disastrous state. More than 100 construction sites have gone up to prevent embankments from sliding into the canal. Work on Europe’s largest hydraulic construction site, the Brunsbüttel lock, has postponed for years. The fifth lock chamber was originally due to finish in 2018. On the other hand, in Kiel, the Grand Sluice, which has been in operation for more than 100 years, is currently undergoing reconstruction.

Lock locks are as much a bottleneck as bridges and their renovation is grossly underfunded, according to Müller.

The construction industry says there are around 80 accidents a year in West Germany’s sewerage network alone because the minimum height of 5.25 metres required for double-layer container loading is not met. The logistics industry is calling for a special fund for transport infrastructure. Frank Huster, managing director of the Federal Freight Forwarding and Logistics Association, is calling for a dedicated transport infrastructure fund.

A special fund for infrastructure investment may be a major economic stimulus. Every euro invested during construction triggers a subsequent private investment of 2.5 euros, Müller said.

Read more HERE

[spancostorage]

Best Industrial Pallets Manufacturer and Supplier in India

[beardedmrbean]

Helsingin Sanomat tells readers that the widespread political strikes in Finland starting Monday will effectively halt freight traffic and disrupt fuel distribution for two weeks. The strikes, which hit ports severely, will hamper Finland's export industries such as technology, forestry and metals.

At the same time, the action now beginning will further increase the toll of strikes on the Finnish economy. It is impossible to give an exact figure, but the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK), for example, estimates that recent strikes have already cost Finland well over a billion euros.

HS interviewed three strikers for a Monday morning feature.

The paper says that recent statements by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP), in which he stressed that the government will not compromise on the basic line of its plans to limit the right to strike and will expand local labour agreements, make workers' representatives see red.

"First of all, the right to strike will be restricted, which means that we would not be able to strike against government decisions. We would be deprived of the means to influence the situation," says Timo Mällinen, the chief shop steward at SSAB's steelworks in Raahe.

According to Mällinen, it is great that Finland enjoys democracy, and the freedom of opinion that goes with it. He says that he fears that the government's decisions are eroding democracy piece by piece.

Employers have argued that with these strikes, workers are shooting themselves in the foot and causing more unemployment.

For example, Ilkka Oksala, director for work and social affairs for the Confederation of Finnish Industries, told HS in early February that "employees are endangering the financial sustainability of their own companies and thus their own jobs".

The same message has since been repeated several times by employers.

According to Mällinen, the employer side has been making the same point for decades when they have wanted to voice opposition to strikes.

"Employer propaganda. The companies that go bankrupt because of this strike are hardly viable anyway," Mällinen counters.

Pasi Boehm, who heads the union chapter representing stevedores in Helsinki, argues that strikes in countries such as France and Germany are much more frequent than in Finland and have not caused unemployment there.

Sami Ryynänen, chief shop steward at Neste's Porvoo refinery, told Helsingin Sanomat that the strikes will continue as long as necessary. And at least so far, workers have shown strong support for the strikes.

All three of the union activists interviewed by the paper are in full agreement that any solution to the the impass will require negotiations.

"I hope that common sense will prevail and things would be resolved by agreement. Agreement will produce much more sustainable and workable solutions than government dictates," says Ryynänen.

Resisting government policies

Ilta-Sanomat writes that trade unions have been on a collision course with the government since last autumn.

The unions have already opposed changes to labour legislation by striking on several occasions over the past few months. The first round of strikes this year took place at the end of January and beginning of February.

Trade unions were outraged last summer when the government issued a list of ways it wanted to change labour legislation in its government programme.

The papers lists some of the most contentious plans by the government, starting from cuts to unemployment benefits and making the first day of sick leave unpaid, as well as changing the law to make it easier for employers to dismiss workers.

Another sore point for unions is that the government programme undermines national collective agreements by stating that local agreements will be allowed in all companies. The aim is to extend local agreements by removing certain prohibitions on local agreements in current labour law.

Additionally, IS points out, the government wants to limit the right to carry out sympathy strikes. If passed, government plans would redefine legal industrial action as that which is "reasonable in relation to the objectives pursued and whose effects are limited to the parties to the labour dispute".

The right to political industrial action will also be restricted. Government plans would limit the duration of political strikes to only one day.

Hard on the economy

Iltalehti points out that 96 percent of Finland's foreign trade passes through the ports that are being hit by the strikes that started Monday morning.

It writes that according to a preliminary estimate by the Confederation of Finnish Industries, the two-week strike will cause 320 million euros in damage to Finland's gross domestic product.

The strikes may cause disruptions in the distribution of fuel. Iltalehti refers to a statement to by the Industrial Union saying that petrol stations and airports will run out of fuel as a result of the strike. Retailers, on the other hand, expect there may be shortages at individual petrol stations. A possible spike in demand could also have a knock-on effect on fuel prices.

According to the National Emergency Supply Agency of Finland, the strike will not have a significant impact on the security of supply. It says that the availability of jet fuel is likely to be a challenge, but there is unlikely to be a need for any drastic measures.

Grocery chains say that the strike may affect the availability of individual products on store shelves. Overall, food shelves should not be empty because of the strike.

The strike may also indirectly affect domestic production, which uses raw materials or packaging materials imported from abroad. However, urgent consignments of goods can be delivered to Finland even while stevedores are on strike, by using special equipment to unload ships.

Buckle up, use hands-free

Savon Sanomat is among the papers carrying a STT Finnish news agency report that police will step up enforcement on the use of seat belts and the use of mobile phones in traffic this week.

According to a study published last autumn, seat belt use could have saved more than half of the deaths in motor traffic accidents in Finland between 2017 and 2021. During those years, a total of 198 people died in motor vehicle accidents in the country.

Police are reminding motorists that not wearing a seat belt can lead to a 70 euro fine or, in the worst case, the cost one's life or the life of someone else.

In addition to the use of seat belts, police will also be on the look out for drivers not paying attention to vehicle operation. The law says that mobile phones and other devices must not be used in a way that interferes with or endangers driving and that includes holding and using a mobile phone while driving.

Rain, sleet and snow

As Iltalehti notes, the weekend offered us a taste of sunny spring weather.

Over the next couple of days, we should still be able to enjoy moderately cool weather and sunshine, but there will be a change mid-week.

The paper points to a fresh forecast by Foreca, according to which skies will cloud up on Wednesday, bringing rain, snow and sleet around the country.

There will be light scattered showers throughout the latter part of the week, coming down in the form of rain in the south, snow in the north, and a mix of snow and sleet in central regions.

[waywarddefendortraveler]

I am Muhammad Maher from northern Gaza, displaced from Al-Yadir Al-Balah and displaced from Deir Al-Balah Ansarat and now Ansarat has been informed of the evacuation and the place is dangerous and the transportation freight for the displacement costs 400 euros. Please help urgently.https://gofund.me/48dc691d

[palmoilnews]

European vegoils- Palm oil down on Malaysian export tax hike, weak export demand GDYNIA, November 20 (LSEG) - Palm oil on the European vegetable oils market fell on Wednesday as Malaysian palm oil futures slipped amid weak demand and news that Malaysia was rising its palm oil export tax to 10% in December. Palm oil was offered between unchanged and $40 per tonne down from Tuesday after Malaysian palm oil futures closed between 55 and 109 ringgit a tonne lower, weighed down by bearish export data during November 1-20 and due to weaker trend in rival CBOT soyoil and Dalian oils at close. Tanker freight for moving 40,000 tonnes of palm oil and by-products from Malaysia or/and Indonesia ports toward the European port of Rotterdam was assessed by LSEG at $81.70 per tonne on November 15, $0.10 or 0.12% up from last week's value. CBOT soyoil futures were between 0.57 and 1.43 cent per pound down at 1800 GMT, tracking weaker Chicago soybeans. Soybean planting in Brazil reached 80%, according to AgRural's statement. EU rapeoil was offered between six and 40 euros a tonne lower for the old crop. The new crop contracts, from August 2025 onwards, were quoted also lower, between 15 and 20 euros a tonne down from Tuesday after European rapeseed futures took cue from weaker CBOT soybeans and rival soyoil. Coconut oil, tracking weaker palm oil, offered between flat and $10 per tonne lower. November/December delivery for palmkenrel oil was offered $95 a tonne up.