Energy
Class Action Filed Against Fortescue Over Harassment Allegations
Fortescue has become the latest major Australian miner to face a class action alleging widespread sexual harassment of women at remote mining operations, following similar lawsuits against BHP and Rio Tinto.
Fortescue, the fourth largest iron ore miner in the world is being sued with a class-action harassment lawsuit over allegations that women did not feel safe and were harassed at its remote mining sites.
The case was filed by JGA Saddler, which also filed for class action cases against Rio Tinto and BHP in late 2024. Those cases remain before the courts.
Allegations Raised by Workers
The litigation comes after a 2022 inquiry by the WA government, which found sexual harassment and assault were endemic in the fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) mining industry, and offered sweeping reform recommendations.
Women working at Fortescue had reported feeling unsafe at mining sites, JGA Saddler said. The law firm provided 45 quotes from current and former employees detailing incidents they say occurred.
In one incident, a worker returned to her accommodation and found a stranger in her room. Some of the women who reported such incidents were demoted, fired or blacklisted from working in the mining industry as per the law firm.
Fortescue Responds
Fortescue said that harassment and unlawful discrimination had no place in their firm and it dedicates its workplace where employees feel safe, respected and included.
Fortescue also said it was investing $300 million to improve the living quarters and updating the accommodation with CCTV systems, deadlocks, and improved lighting.
Industry-Wide Issue
Australia produces more iron ore than any other country in the world and many of its outlandish mines operate on fly-in/fly-out workforces. Though the proportion of women in mining has grown from approximately 18% at the start of this decade, it currently stands at roughly 22%.
In the 2025 financial year, Fortescue reported 22 cases of sexual harassment to Western Australia’s mine safety regulator, down 27% from a year earlier.
The report, Rio Tinto’s care hub, which supports workers who report against harmful workplace behaviour filed 702 incidents, a rise of 24% from a year earlier.
In fiscal 2025, the number of sexual harassment incidents at BHP rose to over 429, an increase of almost 3%. The company says 100 people it holds responsible either quit or were fired.
Source: Reuters
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