- An Insider Account of Salala Rubber Corporation (SRC)
By Kebeh Sammie
Since taking over from Socfin on August 26, 2024, the new management has faced the weight of all that went wrong during the past management regime. On January 28, 2025, Salala Rubber Corporation (SRC) reported an arson attack on its facilities. According to the Corporation, its plantations were set ablaze by two suspects at 2:00 AM.
The Salala Rubber Plantation has become the epicenter of escalating tensions following a series of violent protests by workers dissatisfied with their retirement and labor practices by the old management. The unrest has resulted in significant property damage and led to the imprisonment of several union members, including prominent worker advocate Madam Mary Boima and her secretary.
Madam Boima, a key figure in the workers’ union, has been accused of inciting the unrest, a charge that many believe is politically motivated. Womenvoices, an independent media outlet, has reported allegations that Jetty, the new owner of the plantation has influenced the legal actions against Boima. Jetty has vehemently denied these claims, asserting that he assumed control of the plantation only after the incidents for which Boima is being prosecuted.
In an effort to uncover the truth, a team of Womenvoices reporters conducted an on-the-ground investigation at both the plantation and the nearby town of Weala. Their findings revealed a complex web of grievances among the workers. While some family members of the detained union officials maintain that Jetty is involved in the case, it appears that the new management is primarily focused on addressing the unrest stemming from longstanding issues, including the rehiring of employees.
Many former employees, who were not reinstated after recent management changes, express their frustration, suggesting that their dissatisfaction may be fueling the ongoing unrest. The management has reportedly raised concerns that these former workers could be responsible for a series of suspicious fires that have devastated large sections of the plantation.
In response to the turmoil, the government has implemented stringent security measures to safeguard Jetty’s investment, deploying heavily armed police to the area. Local accounts indicate a palpable sense of tension, with residents divided over the situation. Some express support for the workers’ plight, while others fear the repercussions of the ongoing conflict.
”Changes are here”
At first, a major headache for Lemu Singbeh, and several other students attending Salala Rubber Corporation (SRC) High School was access to improved sanitation, among a few other constraints but now, she worries no more as her school feels like home under the SRC’s new management led by businessman Upjit Singh Sachdeva. For her (Singbeh), she believes “Changes are here.”
Lemu Singbeh is among Dr. Malik (SRC Health Center Medical Center Medical Doctor, Ophelia T. Davis (SRC High School VPA), and other workers and dwellers of the Salala Rubber Corporation (SRC) Plantation area who say the Corporation (SRC) has seen significant improvements in education, healthcare, and housing since the new management took over the historic rubber-growing community.
The Salala Rubber Corporation (SRC) plantation is a 17-square-mile plantation in Margibi County. It was established in 1959. Since taking over from Socfin (past owner) on August 26, 2024, the new management has faced the weight of all that went wrong during the past management regime. However, it appears that there’s a huge difference between what has been attributed to the new management and the realities on the grounds, as evidenced by officials’ and students’ disclosures.
Ophelia T. Davis, Vice Principal for Administration at SRC High School, highlighted several positive changes, including school renovations, perimeter fencing, and the introduction of a feeding program.
Since businessman Upjit Singh Sachdeva, Chief Executive Officer of Jeety Rubber LLC took over, there have been lots of changes,” Davis said. “The school was renovated, a fence was constructed, and a feeding program was implemented.”
The school currently enrolls 780 students and employs 43 instructors and administrators. Workers on the plantation pay just $USD10 for elementary-level education and $USD20 for junior and senior high school. However, Davis called for dialogue to resolve an ongoing dispute between the new management and some former SRC staff.
Students also praised the reforms. Enoch Joah, a 12th-grade student, noted stricter enforcement of rules, while Lemu Singbeh applauded the improved sanitation, water supply, and hot meal program.
Esther Peters, another student, emphasized the impact of the feeding program: “Other people come with no recess,” indicating that the meals attract students even outside regular hours.
Daniel N. Saye, the current top student in the 12th grade, contrasted the current administration with the past, stating, “During the previous administration, you could enter [the school] without strict regulations, and the physical structure wasn’t as good as it is now.”
SRC operates three separate schools within the plantation.
Upgraded Healthcare Services
The transformation extends to healthcare. After a four-month closure, the SRC Health Center reopened in October 2024 with renovated facilities offering 24/7 care. Medical Director Dr. Malik reports treating prevalent conditions like malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis for minimal fees, with free care for plantation workers. While challenges remain – particularly the need for an ambulance and expanded medication supplies – the center has resumed weekly coordination with traditional midwives to improve community health outcomes.
Despite progress, challenges remain, including a lack of an ambulance, shortages of major medications and equipment, and issues with the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) department. However, management says arrangements are underway to procure an ambulance and additional medical supplies.
Dr. Malik, the Medical Director, noted that patient turnout remains low due to last year’s closure but assured that the center operates 24/7.
“We charge only $5 USD for delivery and treat malaria, HIV, TB, hepatitis, and syphilis—the major health concerns here,” he said. The center receives medical supplies from the county health team and collaborates with traditional midwives, holding weekly meetings to coordinate care.
New Housing for Workers
Housing upgrades are equally visible across the plantation’s two residential camps, where 14 new two-bedroom apartments are nearing completion in camp two. Camp One has over a dozen units. Many have already been completed and occupied, with the rest approaching fruition. A beneficiary expressed gratitude, saying, “The new administration is doing its best. We were crying for better buildings, improved hospitals, and schools—now we see everything happening.”
More of SRC and the past management
The Salala Rubber Corporation (SRC) plantation in Margibi County was established in 1959 and the Weala Rubber Company (WRC) factory was operational in 1962. However, the civil wars of the 1990s and early 2000s were the demise of the rubber industry. SRC was looted and the WRC factory was destroyed.
In 2007, Agrifinal merged Weala’s factory and Salala’s plantation. The Socfin Group then acquired the Salala Rubber Corporation (SRC) and invested to optimize the plantation and improve social infrastructure (houses, schools, health centers, etc.). SRC sources its rubber from its own plantation.
Prior to the release of an International Finance Corporation report, Salala Rubber Corporation (SRC) former owner, a Luxembourg-based agricultural giant called Socfin Group sold its 17-square-mile plantation to a new owner, Jetty Rubber LLC. The report was released in mid-March, 2025.
The World Bank’s internal watchdogs, the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman, presented the IFC with a 108-page report. It said that, for more than a decade, the organization had failed to adequately “assess and monitor the environmental and social (E&S) risks and impacts” of SRC’s operations and ensure that the company met the IFC’s standards.
In a press release about the sale of the SRC plantation to its current owner, Jeety Rubber LLC, Socfin said it had decided to sell “following several years of sustained losses.” Work on the plantation was temporarily halted following June protests over pay and labor conditions that turned violent and ended with SRC’s offices in flames.
As the situation develops, it remains to be seen how management will address the former workers’ concerns and whether the legal battles surrounding Madam Boima will continue to escalate. The Salala Rubber Plantation stands as a critical case study in labor relations, highlighting the challenges faced by workers in the pursuit of fair treatment and safe working conditions.
