Australia’s Fortescue, the world’s fourth-largest iron ore miner, was hit on Thursday with a class action lawsuit alleging the widespread sexual harassment of women at its remote mining sites.

Details of the Lawsuit

The suit was filed by law firm JGA Saddler, which also launched similar class action lawsuits against Rio Tinto and BHP in late 2024. Those cases are still winding their way through the courts.

According to the lawsuit, women at Fortescue’s mining sites have reported incidents of sexual harassment, including stolen underwear from public laundries and inappropriate touching at the gym.

A spokesperson for Fortescue said sexual harassment and unlawful discrimination had no place at the company, which was committed to providing a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace for all employees and contractors.

Response to Allegations

Fortescue said it was investing $300 million to improve living quarters at the sites with a focus on safety, including deadlocks, swipe-card access systems, CCTV and better lighting.

However, the law firm representing the women alleges that when incidents were reported, the women were demoted, dismissed, silenced or blacklisted from the industry altogether.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.