Mining companies accused of corporate failure in shocking WA FIFO sexual harassment report
Loading
“All companies told us that staff safety was their highest priority. The level of sexual harassment in their companies indicates that this was not the case,” it said.
“The failure of companies to understand what was happening in their workplaces must be seen as a sign of corporate failure.
“It was clear that company processes were often ineffective; a more honest reading could suggest they were more focused on protecting companies and their reputations than serving the best interests of people who had been harassed.”
It also took aim at contract and labour hire practices rife through the industry which “diluted lines of responsibility” and created power imbalances between supervisors and employees seeking employment with the head business.
During the inquiry the committee heard horrific testimonies of women being demanded sex in return for favours as well as inappropriate touching and comments.
In one case a woman had a near-miss incident with a haul truck she was driving and told the committee the site supervisor said he would make the safety investigation “go away” if she had sex with him.
The same woman said she was told she would have to “get on her knees” if she wanted a permanent job with the mining company.
Another woman told the committee how she was knocked unconscious in her donga and awoke to find her jeans and underpants around her ankles.
Mettam said there was a raft of abhorrent stories that shocked the committee.
“There were stories of sex dolls put in front of women’s dongas, and sex toys hung on their
doors,” she said.
“Stories of unsolicited and unwelcome sexual attention, stalking, texting of explicit and lewd material, and horrifying stories of sexual assault.
“We heard details of unwanted touching, sexual comments, provocative photo requests and grooming.
“We heard of power play behaviour known as ‘shovelling’ where iron ore would be dumped on the cab of trucks operated by women if they didn’t comply with sexual requests.”
Mettam thanked the women who came forward to lift the lid on the behaviour they had experienced.
The report extensive deficiencies in channels for reporting sexual harassment on mine sites both at companies and at the regulator, which it saved its most stinging criticism for.
“DMIRS reported that between 2015-2021 it received only 10 reports specifically relating to incidents of sexual harassment, while it received 22 reports of the more serious issue of sexual assault, 10 of which were in 2021,” it said.
“The committee is surprised that the key regulator of this enormous industry could appear to be satisfied that these figures represented a realistic picture of the problem.”
The recommendations include a raft of changes to reporting mechanisms, including reducing barriers to reporting and improving sharing of information while also respecting confidentiality.
A key recommended change was to establish an expert group within workplace watchdog WorkSafe WA with proper expertise to investigate, assess and deal with reports of sexual harassment and assault and related offences in the mining sector.
The idea of an industry-wide register to weed out perpetrators of sexual harassment and ensure they did not get “moved on” was raised throughout the inquiry, but the committee acknowledged it would be tough to implement.
“We considered the value of establishing a register of offenders that could be accessed as part of the employment process – something like the Safety White Card or the Working with Children Card,” it said.
“Of course, we understand the concept of a register of sexual harassment offenders raises matters of confidentiality and challenges of natural justice as well as the threshold for inclusion.
“In the end, we are not convinced that [a register] is the best solution, but we think the issue
is important enough that it warrants detailed investigation.”
Another key recommendation was for the government to consider establishing a forum to hear, document and acknowledge the experiences of victims of historical workplace sexual harassment.
Loading
The committee recommended this include investigation of opportunities for redress, such as formal apologies from companies and/or perpetrators and compensation.
The committee said mining companies needed to introduce alcohol limits and standards at all camps and warned that gender diversity needed to go further.
“While merely ‘adding more women’ to the mix is not enough to remedy cultural problems, mining companies need to improve the gender balance in their workplaces,” the report said.
“Part of this must include greater effort to increase female workforce participation, with specific focus on site-level supervisor and management positions.”
Follow WAtoday on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter for handpicked selections of the day’s biggest local, national and international news.
Stay connected with us on social media platform for instant update click here to join our Twitter, & Facebook
We are now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@TechiUpdate) and stay updated with the latest Technology headlines.
For all the latest Education News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.