The most significant public event of her term of office was the ACTU's 'Your Rights at Work' campaign against the Howard government's 'WorkChoices' industrial relations legislation in the lead up to the 2007 Australian federal election.

[2] At the time of her presidency with ACTU, a PPL (Paid Parental Leave) policy program was passed in Australia, for which she said; this would give dignity and respect to women workers.

[citation needed] Burrow continued as President of the ACTU until the end of June 2010 when she demitted office and was elected General Secretary (i.e. leader) of the International Trade Union Confederation.

Recognising the significance of her election as the first female leader of the world's largest international trade union organisation, in her acceptance speech after becoming General Secretary of the ITUC, Burrow underlined the necessity of female participation in organised labour: I am a warrior for women and we still have work to ensure the inclusion of women in the work place and in our unions.

[4]Since 2014, Burrow has been a member of the Global Commission for the Economy and Climate, co-chaired by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nicholas Stern and Paul Polman.