Lead
A class action has been filed against Fortescue Metals Group (FMG) alleging sexual harassment, assault, and stalking at the company's remote mining sites in Western Australia. The lawsuit, filed in the Federal Court in Melbourne, has prompted FMG founder and billionaire Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest to issue a statement to staff warning that such behavior has no place at the company.
Coverage comparison
Reports from ABC Australia and The Guardian detail the allegations and Forrest's response. ABC Australia reported that Forrest sent an email to all staff saying, "Anyone who thinks this behaviour has a place at Fortescue is in the wrong company." He added, "Losing your job is the beginning of the consequences, not the end." Forrest also said the company first learned of the allegations through the media, calling them "serious" and "disturbing."
The Guardian reported that the class action includes allegations of women being pulled into a dark alley, finding a male stranger in their room, and being "howled" at by male colleagues. The lawsuit, filed by law firm JGA Saddler and backed by UK litigation funder Aristata Capital, alleges systemic sexual harassment, violence, and retaliation at FMG's remote work sites.
ABC Australia further reported that the lawsuit includes claims that women were raped, sexually assaulted, and stalked at FMG's Pilbara camps. The broadcaster also noted that FMG faced similar allegations in 2023, when it agreed to spend $1.4 million on addressing inappropriate workplace behaviour after allegedly failing to supply documents about dozens of sexual harassment allegations to the work safety regulator.
Key claims
The class action alleges a range of misconduct, from serious sexual assaults to day-to-day micro-aggressions, according to Paris Hamrey, special counsel at JGA Saddler. "One of the most disturbing regular reports is women on Fortescue work sites being warned against washing their underwear in on-site laundries because theft of female underwear is rife," Hamrey said.
Quotes cited in the case include a woman saying that when she dropped something on the ground during a shift, colleagues would say "baby girl while you're down there." Another woman reported that when she told FMG she was pregnant, within a week she was presented with a deed of release and told she had "resigned." A further quote describes "inappropriate and explicit conversations" as "normalised," with supervisors "either fail[ing] to act or are part of the conversation."
JGA Saddler claims many women were threatened or forced out of their jobs when they complained to their managers, according to ABC Australia. The class action also includes allegations that women were pulled into a dark alley where a man "tried to stick his tongue down my throat," and that one woman found a male stranger in her room when returning to her accommodation.
The lawsuit is designed to test whether Fortescue is liable for allegedly failing to protect female workers from being exposed to discrimination and sexual harassment from 2006 to 2025, The Guardian reported. A Fortescue spokesperson said it would be inappropriate to comment on any claims before the proceedings began, adding that the company is "committed to providing a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace for all employees and contractors."
ABC Australia also reported that hundreds of women have come forward in the two years since BHP and Rio Tinto were taken to federal court over similar allegations.
Perspectives
Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest, in an email to all staff, stated: "Anyone who thinks this behaviour has a place at Fortescue is in the wrong company. Losing your job is the beginning of the consequences, not the end."
A spokesperson for Fortescue said the company would not comment on the claims before proceedings began, but reiterated its commitment to a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace.
Law firm JGA Saddler, which filed the class action, alleges that women face systemic harassment and retaliation, and that the company failed to protect female workers.