Rio Tinto publishes submission to FIFO sexual harassment Inquiry

Rio Tinto is committed to eliminating sexual harassment from our business and acknowledges that change is needed to eradicate it from the mining sector.

The company’s submission to the Community Development and Justice Standing Committee’s Inquiry into Sexual Harassment Against Women in the FIFO Mining Industry provides insight into Rio Tinto’s ongoing journey to ensure the company’s workplaces are safe, inclusive and respectful places for everyone.

The submission reaffirms Rio Tinto’s view that characterising and treating sexual harassment as a safety issue will deliver better outcomes in terms of preventing these incidents and ensuring better support for victims.

Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive Simon Trott said “We welcome the opportunity to participate in the Inquiry and recognise the importance of shining a light on the issue of sexual harassment in our industry.

“The safety of our people is our top priority. I apologise to anyone who has experienced any form of sexual harassment, which has no place at our company and will not be tolerated.

“Prior to the commencement of this inquiry, Rio Tinto had taken a number of actions across our global operations to address disrespectful behaviours more generally, and we have made some inroads in tackling these issues. In February, we established the Everyday Respect Taskforce to improve how we prevent and respond to disrespectful behaviours in the workplace including sexual harassment.

“A critical function of the Taskforce is asking our people to share their own experiences and contribute to the solution.

“Despite these important steps, we are acutely aware that people are impacted by sexual harassment within Rio Tinto’s operations and we will continue to seek to eliminate it from our business and the sector.

“We strongly believe that with the right focus from industry and a clear and consistent legislative and regulatory framework, all forms of disrespectful behaviour in the workplace, including sexual harassment, can be eliminated. We are committed to playing our part.”

Rio Tinto’s full submission to the Inquiry is available here.