The flow of new members into Prospect has shown a welcome jump for the first time in 2011. Earlier in the year, recruitment dropped as the public sector recruitment freeze kicked in and job losses mounted. But growing concern over pensions has changed the picture.

From an average 495 recruits a month in the first eight months of 2011, the number of new members joining Prospect rose to 588 in September and then to 692 in October.

The figures bring the total number of people who have joined the union this year to 5,240.

This is not enough to offset the full impact of job losses, which have taken the union's membership down to 119,000 since the end of 2010.

But, said Dai Hudd, deputy general secretary, they represent a turning point for the better on which the union can build.

"The Pensions Justice campaign has clearly had an effect on some longstanding non-members. They are in just as much danger as paying members and stand to benefit just as much from any improvement we secure to the government's proposals.

"Every new member strengthens our position in negotiations, so please, do ask any colleagues who are not members to join their friends in Prospect."

Among branches which have done well in the last two months are the Met Office, Environment Food and Rural Affairs, Defence Acquisition and Maritime South, Department for Transport, Central Office of Information, Environment Agency, Hydrographic Office, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and the Government Actuary's Department.

New recruitment material has been issued to branches, sections and sub-sections in the civil service sector and can be downloaded from the Prospect website library.

Hard copies of leaflets and posters are being mailed out early next week.