“Anyone who has lived in an area with high unemployment knows how it erodes social bonds, lowers the resilience of the unemployed and their families, and damages the prospects of the next generation.”

Australian trade unionist

Sharan Burrow is an Australian trade unionist who led major labour organizations in the early 21st century. She served as president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions from 2000 to 2010 and as general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation from 2010 to 2022. She was the first woman to become general secretary of the ITUC since the federation was founded in 2006, and the second woman to lead the ACTU. Her public work is tied to trade union leadership and the representation of workers at national and international level.