Key facts
- Fortescue faces a class action lawsuit alleging systemic sexual harassment, violence, and retaliation at its remote mining sites.
- Allegations include theft of female underwear from laundries, uninvited entry into rooms, and verbal harassment.
- The lawsuit was filed by law firm JGA Saddler, which has previously filed similar suits against Rio Tinto and BHP.
- Fortescue stated it is committed to providing a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace.
Fortescue, the world's fourth-largest iron ore miner, is facing a class action lawsuit from female workers over allegations of systemic sexual harassment, violence, and retaliation at its remote work sites. The lawsuit, filed in the federal court in Victoria, includes disturbing claims such as a woman being pulled into an alley and another finding a male stranger in her room. Law firm JGA Saddler, backed by UK litigation funder Aristata Capital, is bringing the case, citing allegations ranging from serious sexual assaults to daily microaggressions, including warnings against washing underwear in laundries due to rampant theft.
Fortescue's mines are located in remote parts of Western Australia, with a large fly-in, fly-out workforce. The litigation aims to determine Fortescue's liability for allegedly failing to protect female workers from discrimination and sexual harassment between 2006 and 2025. This is the third such class action filed by JGA Saddler against a major mining company, following similar suits against BHP and Rio Tinto, which are still before the courts.
JGA Saddler special counsel Paris Hamrey stated that these lawsuits highlight a systemic cultural problem within the mining industry, where most women working on remote sites experience some form of harassment or discrimination. Fortescue, chaired by billionaire founder Andrew Forrest, has stated it is committed to a safe and inclusive workplace and declined to comment on the proceedings. The company reported 22 sexual harassment cases in the 2025 financial year, a decrease from the previous year, while Rio Tinto logged 702 incidents and BHP reported 429 incidents in the same period.