A class action has been filed in the Federal Court against one of Australia’s biggest mining companies.
Dozens of women allege they were sexually harassed, assaulted and silenced at Fortescue’s fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) mine sites over nearly 20 years.
It is the third Australian mining giant to face a class action over allegations of workplace sexual harassment in the past two years.
Here’s what you need to know.
Background
Fortescue is one of the world’s largest iron ore miners, with remote FIFO operations across Western Australia.
FIFO workers often live on site, in shared accommodation, for weeks at a time.
In 2022, a WA parliamentary committee inquiry found sexual harassment and assault were rife across the FIFO mining sector and called for sweeping reform.
Lawsuit
The class action was filed in the Federal Court on 25 June by Brisbane law firm JGA Saddler.
Women who worked at a Fortescue Australian mining hub or accommodation camp between 1 February 2006 and 5 December 2025 may be eligible to join if they experienced sexual harassment, sex discrimination or a hostile workplace.
The names of the two lead applicants have been suppressed due to personal safety concerns.
Allegations
The lawsuit alleges decades of systemic sexual harassment and assault at Fortescue’s remote worksites.
Women allege they were followed to their rooms, groped at the gym, and unable to eat in communal areas without being harassed.
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One woman alleged she returned to find a strange man in her room. Another said she was pulled into a dark alley and forcibly kissed.
The claim also alleges women were warned not to wash their underwear in on-site laundries because theft was so common.
JGA Saddler, the law firm representing the complainants, alleges women who reported incidents were punished for speaking up.
“Women who have lodged complaints about unacceptable behaviour are then dismissed, demoted, silenced or blacklisted from the industry,” lawyer Paris Hamrey said.
One woman alleged she was told to sign a waiver, sent to a hotel room alone and instructed not to speak to anyone. Another alleged she was dismissed within a month of raising concerns about a male colleague who refused to be trained by her.
Response
Fortescue told TDA that it is “committed to providing a safe, respectful and inclusive workplace for all employees and contractors.”
It also said it is investing $300 million to upgrade living quarters, including installing deadlocks, swipe-card access, CCTV, and improved lighting.
The company did not comment on the specific allegations.
What’s next?
This is the third class action JGA Saddler has filed against an Australian mining giant.
Similar lawsuits against Rio Tinto and BHP were filed in late 2024 and remain before the courts.
Under the Sex Discrimination Act, employers can be held liable if they allow women to work in environments where they are likely to be exposed to sexual harassment or discrimination.
The Fortescue case will now proceed through the Federal Court alongside the other class actions.
