The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) mourns the passing of Glenton “Glen” Wood, a towering figure of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) and a deeply respected trade unionist across the maritime trade union movement.
Glen devoted his life to defending maritime workers, their dignity, and their right to collective power. He served the MUA with distinction for decades, including in national leadership roles and most recently as National Secretary of the MUA Veterans. He was uncompromising in his defence of members, and deeply committed to passing on the history, values and hard-won lessons of past struggles to new generations of union leaders.
Beyond Australia, Glen was a committed internationalist and a good friend of the ITF. He understood the importance of international trade unionism and consistently offered solidarity to transport workers wherever and whenever they were in struggle. He believed deeply that only by workers uniting globally, across borders, could unions confront global capital and multinational corporations determined to undermine the livelihoods and rights of working people.
After more than half a century fighting for justice for maritime workers, Glen’s determination never waned. In fact, he seemed more energised than ever for the struggles ahead. This leadership and courage will be sorely missed not only by MUA members, but by ITF affiliates in every region who were inspired by his example.
“Glen Wood represented the very best of our movement – principled, fearless and deeply committed to international solidarity,” said ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton said today. “He understood that the power of workers lies in standing together across borders, and he lived those values throughout his life. On behalf of the ITF, I extend our deepest condolences to Glen’s family, friends and comrades in the MUA. His contribution to the union movement in Australia and internationally will not be forgotten.”
“When I first started at the ITF in the early 1990s, I had the privilege to work with Glen. The world was a very different place, but he took me to one of my first meetings with Australian dockers who were determined to support their comrades from the Pacific Islands. Those discussions were seriously robust – they led to ship delays and tough negotiations – but ultimately, we built relationships where unions from the traditional maritime countries and those from the new labour supply countries agreed that we could all help and support each other."
“Glen, as a delegate in Botany Bay, shared with me the rich history of defending transport workers, in particular seafarers. It was a long time ago, but throughout his career, and after his retirement, Glen was always ready to assist seafarers. He was a man of his time, but he led for the ITF and for the world’s maritime workers.”
ITF President and MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin said Glen’s loss would be felt deeply across the union:
“The union is deeply saddened by the shock loss of Glenton Wood – a towering figure in the maritime industry and a prominent, energetic and vital leader of the MUA Veterans. The union in particular extends our deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to his much-loved extended Wood family, who stood by Glen as he stood by them, and by our union, throughout his long, loyal and greatly respected leadership of our union.”
“A wharfie and Sydney Branch official for many decades, Glen’s life was defined by his love of his workmates, his union, and his wholehearted commitment to the camaraderie of the working waterfront. Glen was proud to carry on the legacy of leadership for the MUA Veterans after Jimmy Donovan stepped down and spent every day working on behalf of his fellow retired members and towards the industrial ambitions of our working members. Like Jimmy and Fred Krausert, Glen was the embodiment of the adage that while they might be retired from the job they were still utterly committed to the struggle every day of their lives in retirement.”
He will be remembered as a fierce defender of workers, a custodian of union history, and a comrade whose life embodied the principles of solidarity and collective strength.
The ITF, together with transport unions around the world, extends its deepest condolences to Glen’s family, friends and colleagues in the Maritime Union of Australia. His loss will be felt across the global union movement.
