President Cyril Ramaphosa’s first Workers’ Day address was overshadowed by talk of a reunion between Cosatu and the National Union of Metalworkers of SA (Numsa). The main May Day event was in Port Elizabeth on Wednesday, where Ramaphosa gave the keynote address. It was also the first time he had addressed an alliance event as ANC president. Ramaphosa’s speech was, however, overtaken by talk of a Numsa comeback. Numsa, which was once Cosatu’s biggest union affiliate in the private sector, has a new home at the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu). At last tally, Numsa had more than 300,000 members. Cosatu president Sdumo Dlamini told Business Day in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday that the union federation would welcome Numsa with "open arms". Cosatu would do so on condition Numsa abandoned its resolution to extend its scope, which would encroach on Cosatu affiliates. Dlamini was responding to calls by ANC leaders that Cosatu reconsider its decision on Numsa and Saftu. Cosatu a...
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