Workers and their families who contribute tirelessly to the company’s success live in conditions that most would find unimaginable in today’s world.
Margibi County—In the heart of Liberia’s rubber industry, the Salala Rubber Corporation (SRC) stands tall, but the reality for its workers is far from promising. Workers and their families who contribute tirelessly to the company’s success live in conditions that most would find unimaginable in today’s world.
By Yawah Y. Jaivey, contributing writer
Concerns about the deplorable status of the estate housing units on the SRC plantation was one of the many grievances that triggered last week’s protest by the aggrieved plantation workers, but the Salala Rubber Corporation management, through the Relationship and Administrative Consultant, consented to the worker’s concerns and disclosed that a committee has been constituted to ensure that the housing units will soon be repaired.
However, during an investigative tour on the plantation, FrontPage Africa’s reporter discovered that workers, especially tappers (employees and contractors) have been forced to live in huts with shattered windows, leaky roofs, and broken walls and doors, thus exposing workers to the elements—such as rain, wind, and extreme temperatures—but also increases the risk of burglary and intrusion by pests.
Most of the tappers on the plantation who wished not to be named said many of the huts’ leaky roofs are a significant concern. During the wet season, they said, families endure the constant threat of water dripping into their homes and further deteriorate the already fragile living conditions.
The SRC workers asserted that the implications of their living conditions extend beyond physical discomfort as families are being faced with increased health risks due to exposure to pests and unsanitary living conditions.
The SRC tappers noted that while they are grateful for the employment opportunity many express deep disappointments at the disparity between their hard work in the rubber fields and the substandard living conditions they endure. They feel overlooked and undervalued by a company that profits from their labor but fails to invest in their well-being.
FrontPage Africa’s investigation discovered that five of the estate facilities on the plantation pose an unhealthy and troubling living environment for the workers.
Camps 9 & 8 estates housing units have been deserted with the company paying no attention to rehabilitation despite still being used by the company management. At times, they do workers’ monthly payments in either of the two camps our investigation has revealed.
Also, residents of camps 8 and 9 deserted their homes due to management’s alleged failure to have them rehabilitated which forced workers to relocate to other camps with the anticipation that the situation could have changed.
But up till now, the two camps have been described as ghost camps by the workers and other people living in towns and villages around the plantation.
For Camps 1, 2, and 3 where the company workers currently live, the conditions of the houses deemed useful and safe by the company for the workers are in appalling conditions.
Meanwhile, critics argue that SRC, like many corporations in developing countries, prioritizes profit over the welfare of its workforce. Calls for improved housing conditions and better amenities have been met with promises of future upgrades, yet little tangible progress has been made.
They noted that the situation calls for a concerted effort from both SRC and the Liberian government to prioritize the basic human rights of their citizens, adding adequate housing is not a luxury but a fundamental necessity that should be guaranteed to all workers, regardless of their social or economic status.
