The Western Mineworkers Alliance (WMWA) is calling for the urgent establishment of an independent expert body, funded by the mining industry, to oversee management of sexual harassment and abuse claims, so workers can bring forward complaints without fear of retaliation or blacklisting by site management.
The call comes after a WMWA survey revealed that while a majority of female workers on mine sites in WA have experienced sexual harassment, most are deeply wary of reporting abuse to management because of a deeply embedded culture of cover-up that discourages reporting and accountability.
The survey of WA mine workers, included in its submission to the WA parliamentary inquiry into sexual harassment against women in the FIFO mining industry, found:
- One in five women have been offered improved conditions of employment or career advancement dependent on sexual favours, either explicitly or implicitly
- One in five women had experienced physical acts of sexual assault
- Two thirds had experienced verbal harassment of a sexual nature, including jokes referring to sexual acts or sexual orientation
- A third had experienced unwanted touching or physical
