A recruitment drive with a difference

Shopworkers' union USDAW is offering activists the chance to win a new car if they recruit new members.

The union's panel of solicitors has sponsored a prize draw in which the prizes include a Ford Fiesta and holiday and shopping vouchers. To qualify for an entry, members must recruit five new members - and they get an additional entry for every five further members they recruit.

The campaign runs until the end of March 2006, with the draw to take place at USDAW's April conference next year.

* Train drivers' union ASLEF is seeing a surge in membership.

Recruitment of 80 to 90 new members a month has pushed its numbers to 18,272, the highest level in recent years, the union's conference was told last month.