What a difference a day has made for the 40 – plus BML employees.  Yesterday, they were facing major fines and multiple criminal charges – ad tonight they are free and clear of those charges – and more than that they are going to be re-hired!  How did all this happen so fast?  Well there's no other way to say it, "Daddy Dean" stepped in to clean up the mess.
That's the news tonight, but to tell you how it all went down – we start at court this morning.  19 of the 41 employees had to return to court for their charges – this is after the first 22 – all of them women - were charged yesterday. But instead of being forced to appear before the magistrates, the 19 had a completely different outcome – all their charges were dropped!  Daniel Ortiz has that story:

Daniel Ortiz

"The other half of the BML workers who hadn't been arranged yesterday, showed up back to court answering their summons, readying themselves to face the charges laid against them. Their family, friends and persons who would sign for them sat down in the shade expecting that it would be another very long day in the sweltering heat, waiting for the magistrate's court to accommodate them. But an hour of so after they had reported to court news came down that the police senior command was in negotiations for all charges to be dropped, reportedly with some not so gentle prodding from central government."

Delroy Herrera- Organizer

"His high commanding officer called in just a while ago and said that they are not going to proceed with any criminal charges at this time against the workers who took place in the mini protest in front of the city hall. So as of now he is saying that the workers can go home and if there is anything else if police decide after the negotiation that they will proceed, then the police will get in contact with us individually. So as of now you are all free to go until such time of negotiation with the higher people in charge. He did not mention anything about yesterday. He said the workers who are out here with the sun being hot can leave, he got the word from his high command. Audrey has been informed as well of the situation."

Daniel Ortiz

"You consider this a victory Delroy, for the workers?"

Delroy Herrera

"This is not a victory for the workers, this is a hump that has been jumped, and when you jump a hump there's road ahead, it's not a dead end. So what we will do here now is we will move and at 2 o'clock this afternoon the workers will organize again at B.M.L's office and then we will plan away forward since we have our permit. We will try to stay in the scope of the law this time."

Daniel Ortiz

"Is this a signal that somebody in the upper chair is beginning to listen?"

Delroy Herrera

"Well, we hope. Like Mr. Lawrence said this morning, we hope that someone, that god touches somebody's heart or touches Darrell's heart in some way, somehow, some form. The situation is a dire that we are faced with right now. At this time for now we have word that yes, someone in high authority is sending down instructions to these officers, someone in high command is engaged in negotiation."

Reporter

"Do you expect the charged for everyone to be dropped?"

Delroy Herrera

"At this point I expect that all charges should be dropped against all these workers. The workers were just standing up for their rights and we will continue standing up for our rights until we get just the proper payment these workers want. They want a sense of comfort that they will have a job after January 2015 and if the council is not going to have a job for them, then the council needs to go back to a company who wants these people. You people are not wanted by the council, you people are not wanted by the government, and you are only wanted by B.M.L. So if B.M.L wants you all then let us renegotiate the contract and give these people a fighting chance to make a living."

Daniel Ortiz

"Those employees who had take a stand had been appeased, their voices were heard above the mayor's clinical explanation to why their services are obsolete and overpriced."

Roberto Lalin - B.M.L Worker

"People think we are out there to affiliate ourselves as a political affiliation. This about no kind of politics, this is about just fighting for the rights of the workers and see what they can facilitate for the workers at the end of the day.
Why I feel good is that at the end of the day, they dropped the charges. And for far we got to understand that it was somebody from higher authority listening and that is what I feel good for. "

Mr. X - B.M.L Worker

"We have a situation here where the prime minister has more sense than the council because they already see what is going no. If elections are coming and you are pressuring the people that are cleaning the city. Now brother, we have to take care of our family on 169 dollars. That is food, water, rent, cable because we are people too. Some of us don't have table, what you think of cable? They have everything in their house, now you will tell me, who are we to make these people treat us in these kind of sense? We are only human beings, you understand me? The feeling people you is to make this place turn to communist. But like I said thank god, the prime minister intervene and looks he has more sense than the entire court house. He is instructing them that election is coming, because if the Belizean public could open their eyes they can plainly see what they are doing. They are victimizing us and they are brutalizing us, mentally, physically and spiritually, but they can't break our spirit."

BML Worker

"Everybody feel happy now, we think we free to go and ready to jam again."

Roberto Lalin

"We will stand in solidarity to the end because bare the fact that these people think that this would have blown over like a little breeze. This won't blow over like a little breeze none at all."

Mr. X

"School is opening, I can't even get a loan from my credit union because they will look at me and tell me those people are not even paying you, so what do they want us to do? We just stay here and just keep our mouth zip up like a zip lock bag? Come on man, it's only fair, we are Belizeans too. Not because we are not driving a Prado or a 2013 Rav 4 or whatever. We have kids to mine, we have bills to pay, and we are human beings. You know what is the worst thing? To feel less than a man that you can't take care of your family, how do you think they make us feel? Thank god, the prime minister looks like he has a heart."

 

So, the police department has dropped the criminal charges against all the 41 workers, and the $500 for the littering ticket, well City Council has waived that, so none of the employees have to pay that fine – meaning, a clean slate.