02/04/2026
Publication: SWF
Author: Siphokazi Mvambi
Comrade Siphokazi said she joined SWF in May 2023 after experiencing difficult working conditions and extremely low pay.
“We were exploited by our boss and his management team,” said Comrade Siphokazi.
“They were paying us according to the work we had done in a day. I worked there as a general worker. My duties were to twist and pack wire pods and I earned only R2,100 per month.”
Comrade Siphokazi said she and her colleagues approached the SWF for help.
“A case of the national minimum wage was opened and we won it,” she said.
She added that through SWF she has been involved in struggles affecting precarious workers.
“The key struggles I was involved in in Simunye Workers Forum were to fight against labour brokers and demand permanent employment for contract workers, fighting for a living wage and better working conditions, and showing solidarity with striking workers,” she said.
Comrade Siphokazi said this included supporting disputes involving workers at companies such as Mr Sweet and Chep.
“These are workers protesting against poor wages, unfair dismissal, unsafe working conditions and demanding permanent jobs,” she said.
According to Comrade Siphokazi, the Simunye Workers Forum represents unity and collective power for workers often excluded from traditional trade unions.
“Simunye Workers Forum means unity, power and the weapon that the working class can use to fight for their own rights that were taken away from them by the bosses,” she said.
“Workers must organise themselves and fight for permanent jobs, better working conditions, and also challenge violations of the Labour Relations Act, particularly Section 198, which deals with non-standard employment.” She said SWF believes casual and labour broker workers must organise themselves and take ownership of their struggles.
“The enemy is not a permanent worker, but the employer who exploits both categories,” she said.
Reflecting on the past decade, she said the organisation has grown into a powerful worker-controlled organisation.
“The Simunye Workers Forum transformed from a non-union informal gathering into a recognised force for precarious workers in Gauteng,” she said.
Comrade Siphokazi also highlighted the creation of the Simunye Women Workers Forum in 2018 to address the exploitation of women workers and encourage women to unite and fight gender inequality and gender-based violence.
