Trade union officials are joyful after charges levied against five members of the Bahamas Hotel Maintenance and Allied Workers Union (BHMAWU) have been dropped.

The charges against Santino Higgs, Latoya Archer, Rhonda Huyler, Omar Bernard and Dwayne Frazer were dropped thanks to a nolle prosequi signed by Attorney General Allyson Maynard Gibson dated the September 30th.

The group was charged with obstruction contrary to section 212 of the penal code.

Holding a press conference on Saturday at the union house on Wulff Road, Trade Union Congress (TUC) President Obie Ferguson and President of the Bahamas Public Service Union (BPSU) John Pinder spoke on the significance of the charges being dropped and the wider implications it has.

“This shows you what happens when people work together. John and I as the leaders of these labour movements we have agreed that we will do nothing, particularly on a national level without the collaboration of one another,” Mr. Ferguson said.

“This is clear that we can achieve what we set out to achieve as long we’re consistent and we work together and for the interest of Bahamian workers.”

“Today is a clear celebration of the Trade Union national anthem ‘solidarity forever’.

Mr. Pinder said it’s obvious that the unification of the two umbrella organizations yields positive results.

“We will continue to agitate and push to have the government amend the Industrial Relations Act and to amend the Employment Act to the best interest of workers in our country,” he said.

Ms. Huyler, who is the secretary general of the BHMAWU, spoke about how she felt after being exonerated.

“I’m very happy to see that it was done. I expected it to be done in a timelier manner,” she said.

“Speaking on behalf of the other four, because I’m sure they feel the same way, the whole process was unfair but at the end of the day through the support we received from Mr. Ferguson, Mr. Pinder and the Bahamian public we were vindicated, and we’re very grateful to them for that now I can sleep much better at night.”

The group protested against the “horrible working conditions” at the Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort.

As part of the demonstration, heavy-duty trucks and buses were parked in the road to block off sections of West Bay Street adjacent to the Sandals property.

The move comes after much public outcry and backlash when the attorney general last month issued a nolle prosequi dropping the charges against Sandals executives Gary Williams and Fritzroy Walker.