Women say they were demoted or blacklisted after reporting harassment
A class action filed against Fortescue Metals Group last week alleges women who reported sexual harassment were dismissed or demoted.
Brisbane law firm JGA Saddler lodged the claim in the Federal Court's Victorian registry on Thursday. It covers women employed at Fortescue's Australian sites and accommodation camps between 1 February 2006 and 5 December 2025.
JGA Saddler litigator Paris Hamrey said: "There have been reports of sexual assault, violence, and retaliation, especially when female staff reject sexual advances." She added that women "are then dismissed, demoted, silenced, or blacklisted from the industry" after lodging complaints.
The allegation mirrors claims in class actions JGA Saddler filed against Rio Tinto and BHP in late 2024, which remain before the courts. In those cases, women alleged they were demoted, dismissed or discriminated against after reporting incidents. Fortescue's case is the third such proceeding against a major Australian miner in under two years.
The claim follows a 2021 Western Australian inquiry, which found sexual harassment and assault were widespread in the fly-in, fly-out mining sector. BHP and Rio Tinto have said they do not currently use confidentiality agreements when handling sexual harassment complaints.
Fortescue's chief executive for metals and operations, Dino Otranto, acknowledged the pattern. He said: "This isn't...
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