BHP Group Ltd (ASX: BHP) and Rio Tinto Ltd (ASX: RIO) have landed in hot water amid the launch of two landmark class actions.
The allegations lodged against the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) mining giants are sordid, to say the least.
We examine those allegations below, which we caution you to diverge greatly from the mining operations and profitability outlooks we generally cover in these virtual pages.
BHP and Rio Tinto accused in sexual harassment suit
As numerous media outlets are reporting, BHP and Rio Tinto are facing two class actions regarding a 20-year period of widespread sexual harassment, discrimination, and assault at their Australian mining sites.
Law firm JGA Saddler indicated that the miners were aware of the disturbing issues and that they sometimes threatened to fire or demote women who complained.
ABC News reported that some women were urinated on, sexually groped, and told, "rape is not rape if you are passed out".
Commenting on the impacted female workers at BHP and Rio Tinto, JGA Saddler lawyer Joshua Aylward said:
They just feel worthless because of the way that these companies have allowed these men to treat them. They have been exposed to penises being flopped out in front of them, to men who drop their pants and defecate in front of them and then laugh about it.
He labelled the two female lead applicants as "very brave". He's requesting that their identities be suppressed because they fear retaliation for speaking out.
One of the lead applicants said, "I was sent unsolicited, sexually explicit messages, videos and pictures from a colleague, including pictures and videos of him masturbating in his on-site room."
The male colleague in question resigned from Rio Tinto, but the impacted female employee said she's been "overlooked for opportunities to upskill" following her complaint.
She added:
Standing up and saying something has come at a huge professional and personal cost, but until women in mining join together and say 'no more', these big companies will continue to cover it up.
The second lead applicant worked for BHP at a Queensland site.
She said she was urinated on, sexually harassed over a two-way radio and had a male worker 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 (quoted by ABC).
ASX 200 miners sound apologetic note
Commenting on the class actions, a Rio Tinto spokesperson said:
We treat all such claims with the utmost seriousness. We do not tolerate any form of sexual harassment or sex-based harassment. We are absolutely committed to creating safe, respectful, and inclusive workplaces.
A BHP spokesperson said:
We deeply regret and apologise unreservedly to anyone who has ever experienced any form of harassment at BHP. For many years, we have been focused on identifying, calling out and dealing with instances of disrespectful behaviour, including sexual harassment, racism and bullying.
While those apologies may be appreciated, they're unlikely to derail the legal proceedings against the ASX 200 miners.
JGA Saddler said it expects "thousands of female workers" at BHP and Rio Tinto to join the class actions.
