The press, which has been installed at the union's in-house plant in Hayes, Kent, will mean that Unite can increase the volume of its campaign materials and instructional documents for members – something it has needed to do in light of the current recession.

In addition to the increased output, the iGen4 allows the union to personalise its in-house magazines, as well as general print such as newsletters, flyers, posters, stickers and placards.

Dai Davies, head of publications for Unite, said the merger of two trade unions, coupled with the recession's impact on the workplace, had required an increased print capacity.

"We needed to react by increasing our print capacity for short-run materials for campaigns and members. The nature of print is changing from longer to shorter runs," he said.

The new machine has increased throughput by around 30% and has joined existing Xerox kit that includes a DocuColor 5000, a Xerox Nuvera 120ESA and Xerox's FreeFlow Process Manager. 

"The Xerox iGen4 is able to offer us increased capacity, greater functionality and the capability to expand print volume further in the future," Davies added.

Peter Taylor, director of production and graphic communications at Xerox UK, said: "The document is king at the UK’s largest union, Unite.

"Whether it is an advice brochure or a staffroom poster, printed communication continues to be one of the core links between the union and its members."

Also see:
Unite: 'Don't work without pay'