What is Australia doing about sexual harassment in mining camps? – by Praveen Menon (Reuters – June 21, 2022)

https://www.reuters.com/

SYDNEY, June 21 (Reuters) – Australia will release on Thursday a state government report on sexual harassment in the country’s mineral-rich west after more than a year of investigations, as the sector tries to fix a culture of sexism and bullying.

Women have long complained of sexual harassment in “fly in, fly out” (FIFO) mining camps. Major miners including BHP Group (BHP.AX), Rio Tinto (RIO.AX) and Fortescue (FMG.AX) have made submissions to the inquiry, which is expected to recommend steps to address the issue.

WHAT ARE MINING ‘FIFO’ CAMPS?

Western Australia state is home to the bulk of Australia’s iron ore mines, which account for about half of the world’s iron ore and is a main source of the country’s economic growth.

Mine workers often live in Australian cities, and fly in and out of remote mine sites. They typically live at isolated FIFO camps for a fortnight at a time in West Australia’s mining belt. Women make up roughly one in five FIFO workers.

For the rest of this article: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/what-is-australia-doing-about-sexual-harassment-mining-camps-2022-06-21/