As South Africa today marks Workers' Day, with the main May Day celebrations underway at the Old Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane and other May Day events taking place across the country. Many unions are now moving away from pure political activism toward affording value beyond traditional labor disputes. In a shifting economic landscape, unions are increasingly functioning as service providers, offering their members funeral covers, holiday discounts, and tertiary bursaries. With some people asking themselves, are unions adapting to remain relevant in a changing economy or drifting away from their core mandate of worker representation. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Senior economist at Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies Dr Neva Makgetla