Transport & General Workers Union (T&G)

The Challenge

The Transport and General Workers Union (T&G) wanted to recover £168 million ($252 million) taken from the pension fund of 50,000 retired employees when the National Bus Company was privatized. Despite nearly 10 years of campaigning, the British Government not only refused to return the money, but, announced its decision to fight the case in court.

The T&G hired APCO to help change the government's position and prevent an expensive court case. In addition, the T&G hoped that the work might highlight the benefits the union offered to its members.

The Solution

APCO's strategy was to exert maximum pressure on the government by elevating what was fast becoming a legal wrangle into a national political and media issue. APCO designed an integrated communications campaign that reflected sensitivity within the government regarding claims that it was 'uncaring' about vulnerable elderly members of society.

APCO worked to empower pensioners who had suffered from the loss of this money to lobby the government. We built a contact database, started a newsletter to inform them about the campaign and brought pensioners to London to meet Members of Parliament. APCO hired a bus with campaign messages on the side to drive pensioners around parliament and government offices, highlighting the issue and demonstrating the impact of the decision on real people. APCO distributed customized miniature buses featuring the campaign slogans on the side panels to the government and all Members of Parliament.

Regional and national media were targeted for a series of national campaign days built around specific events organized by APCO. These included a mass lobby of Parliament; a media unveiling of a roving advertising billboard that was driven around government party headquarters and other political venues; a Parliamentary Committee appearance by T&G's General Secretary and pensioner participation in the annual Party Conferences. A vigorous letter-writing campaign supported all of these activities.

The Result

The government's position was transformed. It moved from refusing to accept the legality of the pensioners' case to agreeing to return all of the money – plus accrued interest. The Deputy Prime Minister announced the government's intention to pay £356 million ($534 million) during his keynote speech at the national Labour Party Conference. This was more than double the money the T&G had come to APCO to help collect. This success won APCO Best Public Affairs Campaign at the UK PR Week Awards.

Services Provided

• Coalition building
• Community affairs & strategic philanthropy
• Creative services
• Government relations
• Internal communication
• Issue management
• Litigation communication
• Media relations
• Online communication
• Positioning

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