Australian women sue for sexual harassment against Rio Tinto $RIO (-0,87%) and BHP $ABHPG

A group of Australian women have filed a lawsuit against Rio Tinto PLC and BHP Group Ltd. alleging that they were frequently discriminated against and sexually harassed while working for the mining companies.

Two separate lawsuits were filed in an Australian court on Wednesday afternoon. They represent women who have worked for the miners for the past 20 years.

"These class actions will give a voice to these women, many of whom have been afraid to speak out for fear of losing their jobs or facing reprisals in the workplace," said lawyer Joshua Aylward.

We have heard reports of everything from unwanted touching and sexual harassment to rape, violence and physical threats, as well as gender discrimination and pregnancy discrimination".

Neither BHP nor Rio Tinto commented specifically on the content of the complaints.

The main plaintiff in the case against the Anglo-Australian company Rio Tinto alleges that she was sent "unsolicited sexually explicit messages, videos and images" while working as a security guard.

She asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals and said she was "passed over for training opportunities" following her complaint.

Standing up and speaking out comes at a huge professional and personal cost, but until women in the mining industry come together and say, 'Enough is enough,' the big companies will continue to cover this up," she said in a statement provided by her lawyer.

The lead plaintiff in the case against Australian mining company BHP, who also requested anonymity, claimed she was subjected to a constant barrage of sexual and derogatory comments.

When she rejected a colleague's advances, he allegedly "walked up behind her in a parking lot and urinated on her," according to a statement from her lawyer.

She filed a complaint but was never contacted, and her contract was terminated while her colleagues were kept on.

More than 45,000 women worked in the Australian mining industry in 2022, an increase from 8,700 in 2002, according to the latest government data.

A BHP spokesman said there was "no place" for sexual harassment.

"We are committed to creating a safe and respectful workplace for all," it told AFP on Thursday.

"We deeply regret and apologize unreservedly to anyone who has ever experienced any form of harassment at BHP," the spokesman said, adding that the mining company would take all reports seriously and take strict disciplinary action.

Rio Tino told national television station ABC that it treats allegations of sexual harassment with "the utmost seriousness".

We do not tolerate any form of sexual harassment or harassment based on gender.