Turn on and tune in to UNISON

The 1.3 million-strong public services union UNISON is calling on its activists to make use of its "biggest-ever recruitment campaign" - which is to include television advertising.

Launching this autumn, the campaign aims to increase membership of UNISON by 4% this year.

The TV advertisement constitutes a heavy investment, and will be paid for out of UNISON's general political fund. The union hopes that activists will use it as an opening gambit in conversations with potential recruits, suggesting they open up with the question "Have you seen the UNISON advert on TV?"

Anette Place, chair of the committee responsible, said the TV campaign was "vital in getting [the recruitment drive] off the ground. What the advertising will do is raise the profile of UNISON as a campaigning union and reinforce the idea of collectivism."

UNISON is urging branches to ensure they have a "clear and practical recruitment strategy, with established targets, a timetable and adequate resources for face-to-face recruiting". Branches will be supplied with a series of new posters, leaflets and postcards.

The union says: "The most important thing is to achieve maximum visibility and then follow up with one-to-one recruitment."