BHP (ASX, LON,聽NYSE:聽BHP)聽revealed聽this week that聽it聽has聽fired 48 employees since 2019 for sexual harassment at its remote fly-in, fly-out聽(FIFO)聽mines in Western Australia.聽
In a聽聽into the issue, the world鈥檚 largest miner聽said聽that between 2019 and 2021 it received six confirmed cases of sexual assault and 73 of sexual harassment at its FIFO mines.聽聽
The mining giant聽also聽had聽two substantiated allegations of rape, with further cases still under investigation.聽
All substantiated cases were reported to the police except for one, at the request of the victim.聽As a result,聽48 workers were ousted, BHP said.聽Nine reported cases were either not substantiated or could not be investigated to a conclusion.聽
Between 2019 and 2021 BHP received six confirmed cases of sexual assault and 73 of harassment at its FIFO mines, resulting in 48 workers ousted
鈥淥ur position on this is clear. Sexual harassment is completely unacceptable, contrary to our values and unlawful,鈥� BHP said in the submission.聽
BHP says it has focused聽on improving prevention, reporting of and response to sexual harassment. Measures taken included committing A$300 million ($213m) to boosting site security at FIFO camps and linking remuneration packages for the company鈥檚 executive leadership team in the 2022 fiscal year to sexual harassment elimination. It also said relevant senior leaders would be given key performance indicators based on sexual harassment reporting rates.聽
The Melbourne-based giant has also聽introduced a聽new alcohol policy聽that聽limits聽late night drinking and聽the amount employees at the camps聽are allowed each day.聽
搁颈惫补濒蝉听 (ASX, LON, NYSE: RIO) and 聽(ASX: FMG)聽have also made submissions to the inquiry, which were published on Friday.聽聽
Rio said that, since January 2020,聽it has confirmed聽one case of sexual assault and 29聽instances of聽harassment聽at its FIFO operations.聽
Western Australia鈥檚 parliament聽launched in July a formal inquiry聽into sexual harassment in the FIFO mining industry triggered聽. Miners including BHP and Rio聽Tinto聽say the increase in reports聽is a result of聽their efforts to make聽female employees聽more comfortable about speaking out.聽Other submissions聽to the inquiry, however,聽suggest the problem is an endemic one.聽
Gender equality price?
Over the last decade, major mining have made a point of hiring more women. They have used apprenticeships, direct recruiting and more flexible working practices to attract female labour, hoping to rebalance their mostly male workforces and help fill vacancies.聽
Despite coordinated efforts, mining聽remains聽one of the worst-performing industries when it comes to the hiring of women, particularly at the senior management level.聽
Females can often be put off by the lack of flexibility in a career that can include months away from home at isolated sites.聽聽
There is also an evidence-based聽belief聽that they won鈥檛 have the same opportunities聽or salaries聽men聽have.聽聽
The possibility of being sexually harassed won鈥檛 help improve women鈥檚 perception of the mining industry, Fiona Vines, BHP鈥檚 head of diversity and inclusion, said earlier this month.
A into sexual harassment found that 74% of women in the聽mining聽industry had experienced some form of sexual harassment in the past five years, partly due to the gender imbalance.聽
BHP set a goal in 2016 to achieve a聽聽by 2025 across the company 鈥� from truck drivers in Chile to its boardroom in Melbourne.聽Based on聽,聽it聽leads the industry as total females on payroll were up 2% in the year to 26.5%.聽
The proportion of female employees at rivals is much lower, with Fortescue聽having 19.4% of women employees, Rio Tinto聽18.4% and Vale 13%.聽