Andrew Forrest’s Fortescue is facing a class action lawsuit from female workers over allegations of systemic sexual harassment, violence and retaliation at the iron ore miner’s remote work sites.
The lawsuit, filed in the federal court in Victoria on Thursday, includes an allegation that a woman was pulled into a dark alley where a man “tried to stick his tongue down my throat”.
Another female employee allegedly found a male stranger in her room when returning to her accommodation. A third woman claimed she was “howled” at by male colleagues when attending a communal eating area.
The class action has been filed by law firm JGA Saddler and is backed by UK litigation funder Aristata Capital.
JGA Saddler special counsel Paris Hamrey said on Thursday that the allegations ranged from “serious sexual assaults through to day-to-day micro aggressions”.
“One of the most disturbing regular reports is women on Fortescue work sites being warned against washing their underwear in on-site laundries because theft of female underwear is rife,” Hamrey said.
“It is horrendous to think mining women should have to worry about what should be a mundane task. Aside from a violation, it raises concerns about escalation of offending and highlights safety risks to female staff.”
Fortescue’s iron ore mines are located in remote parts of Western Australia. It has a large fly-in, fly-out workforce who stay at on-site accommodation villages during their weeks-long roster.
The litigation is designed to test whether Fortescue is liable for allegedly failing to protect female workers from being exposed to discrimination and sexual harassment from 2006 to 2025.
A spokesperson for Fortescue, chaired by billionaire founder Forrest, said it would be inappropriate to comment on any claims before the proceedings began.
“Fortescue is committed to providing a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace for all employees and contractors,” the spokesperson said.
after newsletter promotion
“Sexual harassment, unlawful discrimination, and other behaviour that makes people feel unsafe have no place at Fortescue.”
The case against Fortescue is the third class action the law firm has filed against a major mining company over allegations of widespread sexual harassment, sexual violence and sex discrimination, with BHP and Rio Tinto previously hit with similar claims.
BHP and Rio Tinto’s actions remain before the courts.
Hamrey said the three lawsuits showed there was a failure of culture in the sector.
“The mining industry has a real problem with women – it’s most women, if not all, working on remote sites that have suffered some form of sexual harassment or sex discrimination,” she said.
“These companies actually need to stand up and address issues … strengthen their policies, actually enforce the policy, and provide a space where women feel safe to work.”
