Fortescue Metals is facing a class action lawsuit from female employees who allege the mining giant allowed a culture of sexual harassment, assault, and retaliation to flourish for nearly two decades.

The lawsuit, lodged today in the Federal Court, sets out allegations ranging from daily taunts and intimidation to stalking and even rape at the company’s fly‑in, fly‑out (FIFO) sites across Australia.

Some of the accounts are stark. One woman says she was “howled” at by male colleagues as she entered a communal dining area, while another claims “inappropriate and explicit conversations are normalised, and the supervisors either fail to act or are part of the conversation”.

A third plaintiff claims to have been pulled into a dark alley where a man “tried to stick his tongue down my throat”, while a fourth woman alleges she returned to her accommodation to find an unknown man in her room. 

Paris Hamrey, a special counsel at JGA Saddler representing the plaintiffs, says women were even warned not to wash their underwear in communal laundries because theft was so common. “Aside from a violation, it raises concerns about escalation of offending and highlights safety risks to female staff,” she adds. 

According to Hamrey, female employees were told to report misconduct, especially during induction programmes, but when they did, they were “silenced, dismissed, or in worst cases, they are forced out of their job simply for asking for a safe workspace”. 

JGA Saddler has appealed to all women who have worked for the company between 2006 and December 2025 with a claim to get in contact. In 2024, around 23% of Fortescue’s 12,000-strong workforce were female.

Responding to the class action, Dino Otranto, Fortescue’s iron ore chief executive, said: “This isn’t the first class action we’ve seen in the industry over the past few years. That said, these are extremely serious allegations and Fortescue takes them very seriously.

“We remain committed to maintaining an open and inclusive workplace,” he added. “Do we have more work to do? Yes. The industry-wide inquiry several years ago made it clear that the entire sector needed to lift its standards, and we’ve invested significantly in critical infrastructure and initiatives across our operations to help ensure everyone feels safe, respected, and included at work.”

The case adds to growing scrutiny of workplace culture across Australia’s mining industry. 

Since 2022 hundreds of women have come forward with similar allegations at BHP and Rio Tinto, after a state inquiry into FIFO camps concluded that harassment and assault were “generally accepted or overlooked”. 

JGA Saddler launched two class actions against BHP and Rio Tinto in 2024 on the back of the inquiry’s findings. Both claims are ongoing. 

Fortescue itself has not been immune. In 2023 it agreed to spend AU$1.4m (£733,061) on improving workplace behaviour after WorkSafe Western Australia accused it of failing to hand over documents relating to dozens of complaints.

Fortescue reported 22 sexual harassment cases to the regulator in the 2025 fiscal year, a 27% drop from the previous year, according to its annual safety report. By contrast, Rio Tinto logged 702 incidents through its care hub, up 24%, while BHP reported 429 cases, a 3% rise, and said 100 perpetrators were fired or resigned.

Under Australia’s Sex Discrimination Act, employers can be held liable if they permit employees to work in environments where they are likely to be exposed to sexual harassment or discrimination.