Two mining giants are accused of allowing unsafe workplaces where women faced harassment and discrimination.
A machine operator facing a campaign of intimidation before urinating at BHP sites and a security guard receiving unwanted sexual advances with the promise of permanent employment at Rio Tinto are among those claimed in lawsuits filed on Wednesday.
No action was allegedly taken when the woman working at Rio Tinto sites in Western Australia made offensive comments about rape or that another woman working on site was ‘f***able’, but she claims she was then warned for swearing.
The woman who worked at BHP sites in Queensland and NSW claims none of her colleagues did anything while she was abused as a ‘bastard’ who worked in the mining industry ‘just to get sex’ by a man leaning against a glass window hit near her head, urging her to ‘come on and fight me’.
The man was escorted off the premises after she made a formal complaint to a supervisor, who then allegedly flagged her as unsuitable for further training.
She was allegedly harassed by a contractor who was assaulted after she rejected his repeated advances before he walked behind her in a parking lot and urinated on her.
She was never contacted about the complaint she filed, but her contract was not renewed, unlike her colleagues who continued to work.
The two women, who are not being named for legal reasons, are lead plaintiffs in class action lawsuits filed in federal court.
Angela Green is pictured
Female FIFO workers claim their colleagues never stood up for them (stock image)
JGA Saddler lawyer Joshua Aylward said the cases give a voice to other women who feared they would lose their jobs if they spoke up.
“BHP and Rio Tinto sent female staff to these locations knowing there was a high risk of personal danger, and then punished them with demotion, dismissal or discrimination when they reported it,” Aylward said.
Thousands of women who have faced harassment or discrimination at the two companies’ locations since 2003 may be eligible to participate.
The companies will be legally obliged to contact women who have worked for them.
A spokesperson for Rio Tinto told AAP that the company was aware of the filing of the lawsuit and treated such claims with the utmost seriousness, and does not tolerate sexual or gender-based harassment.
“This extends to our entire network, including business partners, contractors and suppliers,” they said.
“We are absolutely committed to creating safe, respectful and inclusive workplaces.”
The company pointed to an external review conducted by former Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick in 2021, which found a recent progress review was “helping to make Rio Tinto a better place to work.”
A Rio Tinto mining site is shown
“It also appeared that there is still work to be done to create an environment where all employees feel safe, valued and respected,” the spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for BHP told AAP it was committed to providing a safe and respectful workplace for all.
“Sexual harassment has no place in our workplaces, or anywhere else,” they said.
“We deeply regret and unreservedly apologize to anyone who has ever experienced any form of harassment at BHP,” they said.
The company has focused on tackling disrespectful behavior, including sexual harassment, which it considers a health and safety risk, with a wide range of controls focused on prevention, reporting and response, they said.
Mr Aylward said women in mining ‘don’t want another independent review’.
“They want change and deserve a safe and respectful workplace.”
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redressal Support Service 1800 211 028
Lifeline 13 11 14
Fullstop Australia 1800 385 578