Claims unveil former employees' alleged experiences at the mining giant
Class actions have been filed in the Federal Court in Sydney against mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP, with former female employees detailing allegations of widespread sexual harassment and gender discrimination, according to reports.
The claims against the two companies include accounts of sexual assault, verbal abuse, and harassment, with many women describing toxic work environments that left them truly broken, ABC News reported.
One of the lead applicants, a FIFO (Fly-In, Fly-Out) security officer for Rio Tinto in Western Australia, alleged that she was sexually harassed on a weekly basis, including receiving unsolicited sexually explicit messages and videos from a colleague.
Another lead applicant, who worked for BHP as a machinery operator, recounted being verbally abused and sexually harassed while rejecting unwanted advances at a Queensland camp.
She claimed she was urinated on, sexually harassed over the radio, and witnessed a BHP employee defecate in front of her.
"There have been times I haven't reported an incident for fear of what might happen to my career, my job and my personal safety," she said as quoted by ABC.
Angela Green, a former explosives expert for BHP, shared her experience in reporting an incident where another employee filmed female staff in their rooms and stole personal items, including underwear.
Green claimed that she faced retaliation, with accusations of rorting an employee awards system and falsifying logbooks. She was later terminated after raising concerns, and rejected a non-disclosure agreement offered as part of a compensation package.
"BHP state office said if I signed it then they would clear my record and change it to say I resigned instead of being terminated," she said as quoted by ABC.
Both Rio Tinto and BHP have responded to the claims, with each company reiterating their commitment to addressing harassment within their workplaces.
A spokesperson for Rio Tinto emphasised their stance on serious allegations: "We treat all such claims with the utmost seriousness. We do not tolerate any form of sexual harassment or sex-based harassment."
Similarly, a BHP spokesperson stated that the company deeply regrets any instances of harassment.
"For many years, we have been focused on identifying, calling out and dealing with instances of disrespectful behaviour, including sexual harassment, racism, and bullying."
The lawsuits are expected to attract thousands of additional claimants, with women who were subject to harassment or discrimination while working for the mining giants since November 2003 eligible to join, Bloomberg reported.
Brisbane-based lawyer Joshua Aylward is representing the plaintiffs in the claims.
"These class actions will give a voice to these women, many of whom have been too afraid to speak out for fear of losing their jobs or workplace reprisals," Aylward said as quoted by the news outlet.
