– After Dedicating 121 Newly Built and Renovated Homes
After dedicating 121 newly built and renovated homes, the company accelerates demolition of aging mud housing to make way for durable two-bedroom concrete homes.
The Salala Rubber Corporation (SRC) has begun demolishing aging mud housing units to make way for durable two-bedroom concrete homes for its workforce. The move is part of a broader plan by Jeety Rubber, the new owner of SRC, to construct and renovate more than 500 homes within 24 months to improve living conditions for workers.
Jeety Rubber has prioritized addressing recommendations from the Earthworm Foundation report, which documented unresolved social challenges, including substandard housing under Socfin, a Luxembourg-based multinational group that owned and operated SRC for more than a decade until August 2024. “As a company, our goal is to address the structural issues identified in the Earthworm report,” said Upjit Singh Sachdeva, CEO of Jeety Conglomerate. “Today’s demolition is a step in that direction. We will replace mud houses that have stood for generations with durable two-bedroom concrete homes that are spacious and secure.”
Housing has long been a source of workers’ grievances. In June 2024, amid heightened tensions, a protest turned violent, resulting in the burning and ransacking of company properties and ultimately leading Socfin to shut down operations and divest.
Under the purchase agreement, Jeety Rubber committed to addressing years of social and infrastructural problems left by Socfin, including poor housing and inadequate social services. As part of this commitment, the company has relocated several hundred workers from Camp 1 and Camp 2 to 121 newly built and renovated housing units. Some relocated workers had lived in dilapidated mud houses. The new and renovated two-bedroom units are designed for durability and weather resistance, offering safer and more comfortable living spaces.
“The most important asset we have as a company is our workers, so their well-being, especially where they live, has always been our priority,” Sachdeva said. “We remain committed to ensuring that all workers in the nine camps have access to durable housing within the 24-month framework we promised.”
Jeety Rubber’s SRC plan also includes a series of initiatives to improve workers’ quality of life, such as donating an ambulance, renovating SRC’s school system and health center, and awarding scholarships. The clinic now features qualified doctors and staff, well-equipped laboratories, and upgraded facilities. The schools, including a high school, have 24/7 electricity, running water, and an upgraded science lab, contributing to a notable achievement: all 12th graders passed the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination, a first in the company’s history.
Pending projects include cost-free Starlink internet service, electricity upgrades, and borehole water systems to modernize social services across all nine worker camps. The Starlinkservice would provide high-speed internet access to workers and their families, while enhanced electricity and borehole water systems would improve living conditions and access to essential services.
“We inherited a company with legacy social and infrastructural problems, and our goal is to solve them,” Sachdeva said. “Profitability is important, but we are equally committed to improving social services for workers, including housing.”
SRC workers have welcomed the commitment to address legacy issues and hope the pace of renovations and new housing will accelerate. They express optimism that employee well-being will continue to be a priority, while urging that housing and other improvements be fast-tracked so that all workers can benefit.
“After years of living in fear during the rainy season, we now have safe, comfortable homes. We hope these projects are sped up, as many workers still need housing,” the workers said. “We appreciate the new management’s genuine commitment to solving the legacy issues and look forward to seeing results.”
