Membership of the National Union of Journalists is on the increase in Wales – the only part of the UK to see such a rise.

But the union says it is not going to rest on its laurels as it embarks on further recruitment drives in the country during 2008.

Lawrence Shaw, NUJ assistant organiser for Wales, said officers and volunteers expected to be focussing much of their attention on the provincial press.

"There have been a few sustained efforts at organisations, particularly in the broadcasting sector and provincial press in Wales," he told holdthefrontpage.

"What's been driving it is recruitment in the work place.

"We're really trying to push our influence, in newspapers particularly.

"People have been active, getting colleagues to join us – it's down to a good general feeling of people wanting to get into the union.

"I think there's some antipathy that the NUJ does not care about Wales but we're trying to show we do."

Lawrence estimates that the NUJ has around 1,000 members in Wales but is positive this figure can be doubled.

On the downside, this membership is spread widely across the various strands of the Welsh media with the union only having official recognition at Trinity Mirror's Western Mail and South Wales Echo.

Lawrence added: "We're working on trying to get recognition at all other titles in Wales and the Wales media as a whole.

"All of these are being systematically targeted at the moment.

"We've drawn up a new strategy and it is hoped that this will win back influence.

"We're trying to use the fact we have momentum – the problem is reaching out to people."

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