Australian mining giant Fortescue has been hit with a class action lawsuit alleging widespread sexual harassment of women at its remote mining operations, marking the latest legal challenge facing the country’s mining sector.
The lawsuit, filed on Thursday by law firm JGA Saddler, follows similar class actions launched against mining companies Rio Tinto and BHP in late 2024. Those cases remain before the courts.
The legal action comes after a 2022 inquiry by the Western Australian government found sexual harassment and assault to be widespread across the state’s fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) mining industry and recommended sweeping reforms.
“Time and time again, women are telling us that they don’t feel safe at the Fortescue mine sites,” JGA Saddler litigator Paris Hamrey said.
She alleged that female workers had reported incidents including underwear being stolen from shared laundries and being subjected to inappropriate touching and harassment at workplace gyms.
In response, a Fortescue spokesperson said the company had zero tolerance for sexual harassment and unlawful discrimination and remained committed to providing “a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace for all employees and contractors.”