Susan Elizabeth Ferns (born 27 October 1960) is a British trade unionist. Born in

Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...

, Ferns studied at

Salford University The University of Salford is a Public university, public research university in Salford, Greater Manchester, Salford, Greater Manchester, England, west of Manchester city centre. The Royal Technical Institute, Salford, which opened in 1896, be ...

. In 1982, she began working for the

Trades Union Congress The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is a national trade union center, national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions that collectively represent most unionised workers in England and Wales. There are 48 affiliated unions with a total of ...

(TUC) as a policy officer. In 1993, she moved to work as a research officer at the Institution of Professionals Managers and Specialists. This union merged into

Prospect Prospect may refer to: General * Prospect (marketing), a marketing term describing a potential customer * Prospect (sports), any player whose rights are owned by a professional team, but who has yet to play a game for the team * Prospect (minin ...

in 2001, and the following year, Ferns became its head of research. In 2005, she was elected as a member of the

General Council of the TUC The General Council of the Trades Union Congress is an elected body which is responsible for carrying out the policies agreed at the annual British Trades Union Congresses (TUC). Organisation The council has 56 members, all of whom must be proposed ...

. In 2013, Ferns became the Prospect's director of communications and research, and then in 2018 its senior deputy general secretary. From 2007 until 2022, Ferns was also chair of Unions 21, and since 2012 has been chair of the Trade Union Sustainable Development Advisory Committee. She was appointed to the government's Green Jobs Task Force in 2021. In 2021, Ferns was elected as

President of the Trades Union Congress The president of the Trades Union Congress is a prominent but largely honorary position in United Kingdom, British trade unionism. History Initially, the post of president was elected at the annual Trades Union Congress (TUC) itself, and would serv ...

, in which role she focused on campaigning to close the gender pay gap and pensions gap.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ferns, Sue 1960 births Living people Alumni of the University of Salford Presidents of the Trades Union Congress Trade unionists from Sheffield Officers of the Order of the British Empire