Mining giant BHP in sex scandal after worker accused of rape
Mining giant BHP was embroiled in a major sex scandal last night after a worker was accused of raping a colleague in Western Australia.
The alleged assault is seen as one of the catalysts for FTSE 100’s recent crackdown on binge drinking as it attempts to reduce the risk of alcohol-fueled attacks and harassment of female employees .
The Anglo-American giant was accused of violating workers’ human rights last month when it revealed plans to ban minors from drinking beer after 9:30 p.m. and limit them to four drinks a day.
‘Bad working conditions’: BHP South Flank’s vast iron mine in Pilbara, Western Australia
He said the move reflected changes to Australian government guidelines in December, which now recommends adults consume no more than four standard alcoholic drinks per day.
The restrictions will take effect next month.
But the urgent need to tackle drunken behavior at BHP’s male-dominated mining sites became clearer yesterday as police in Western Australia charged a 35-year-old employee with the alleged rape of a colleague near South Flank’s massive iron ore mine in Pilbara.
The man, from Vasse in southwest Australia, was denied bail and will appear in court in Perth today.
He has already been fired by the company following an independent investigation.
Colleagues at the mine say a woman in her 20s was followed to her accommodation at the camp – known as Mulla Mulla Village – where she was allegedly attacked.
According to the West Australian newspaper, the incident occurred after the woman rejected the advances of male colleagues in the “wet mess” of the mining camp, a dining hall where workers often meet for drinks after their shift.
The alleged attack took place in November last year, but was not reported to police until early this year.
Last night it also sparked a wider row over the treatment of workers by BHP, with a union leader claiming that the ‘dehumanizing’ conditions at mining sites fuel widespread alcohol and drug abuse and lead to more behavior. antisocial.
As the rape allegations surfaced, BHP revealed that it has also set up a chaperone service, offering a uniformed security guard to escort those who are too afraid to return to their accommodation on their own.
Flyers for “walk-in room service†have been posted on its sites over the past year to make workers feel safer.
The leaflet reads: “Residents and staff of the village may request to be accompanied to their rooms for various reasons. “
These include “if you feel uncomfortable for any reason walking to your room”.
A spokesperson for BHP yesterday described the sexual assault or harassment as “unacceptable at BHP, period.”
He added that staff are now required to undergo mandatory training in “respectful behavior,” while additional lighting, video surveillance and security have been installed at mining sites.
But yesterday Mick Buchan, secretary of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union, said BHP was partly responsible for driving the workers to alcohol and drug abuse.
Miners fly to remote locations and often work 12 consecutive hours in a two-week shift, before returning home.
He said: “There is no doubt that manual labor 12 hours a day, 14 days in a row, prompts the consumption of alcohol to relax at night – and other substances to start in the morning.”
Scene of the crime: mining housing in the village of Mulla Mulla where the woman in her twenties was allegedly assaulted
Although BHP said it has invested heavily in its mining camps, installing gymnasiums and even meditation rooms, Buchan said life has actually become more difficult for workers as the company tries to cut costs.
A key problem, he said, is the introduction of a money-saving “hot litter” system, in which small huts called “dongas” are exchanged between workers so that they do not. are never empty.
Previously, workers received their own donga when they started construction work.
This would remain their “home” for the entire project, which could last up to two years and would remain empty at the end of their shift.
Workers posted pictures of loved ones and some even planted vegetable gardens to make them feel at home.
They would also develop a “sense of place and community,” Buchan said, getting to know their neighbors.
But he said switching to the hot litter box means workers often have no idea who is in the room as well and can’t create a sense of community.
“It is well known that having a sense of belonging and community protects against antisocial behavior,†he said.
“We should have learned by now that when you take people out of the support network of their families and communities, it’s not healthy.”
A surge in iron ore prices helped generate windfall profits for the company and enabled it to pay out record dividends to shareholders.
But rape allegations threaten to tarnish its reputation, especially if new allegations of sexual harassment and poor working conditions at its mines emerge.
BHP’s Anglo-Australian competitor Rio Tinto is still reeling from damage to its reputation after blowing up sacred Aboriginal caves just over a year ago.
A spokesperson for BHP said: “We are absolutely clear on this, and all employees, contractors and those who come to our sites are made aware of their obligation to support a safe and respectful workplace. We continue to strengthen our approach across all of our sites and offices. ‘
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