Rio Tinto has published a comprehensive external review of its workplace culture, commissioned as part of its commitment to ensure sustained cultural change across its global operations.
The review was carried out by former Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick and identified bullying, sexual harassment, racism, and other forms of discrimination throughout the company.
The eight-month study saw more than 10,000 people share their experiences, views, and insights via an online survey, as well as through more than 100 group listening sessions, 85 confidential individual listening sessions, and close to 140 individual written submissions.
It is part of the work being undertaken by Rio Tinto’s Everyday Respect task force, which was launched in March 2021 to better understand, prevent, and respond to harmful behaviours in the workplace.
The report outlines 26 detailed recommendations, which will inform work being carried out to improve how the company prevents and responds to discrimination and unacceptable workplace behaviour.
Elizabeth Broderick said the report was not a reason for reduced confidence in Rio Tinto.
She continued: “By proactively commissioning this study, one of the largest of its kind within the resources industry, it demonstrates a very clear commitment to increased transparency, accountability, and action.
“The high levels of confidence among employees that a significant impact can be made in the next two years are an encouraging sign that change can happen.
“In my interactions with the Rio Tinto leadership team, I have observed a strong desire for transformational change, as well as to make positive contributions to the societal shifts that we need to see.”
A crucial finding of the investigation was that of all Rio Tinto’s divisions globally, bullying and sexual harassment were highest in its iron ore division, in Western Australia’s Pilbara region
The report found bullying and sexism were systemic across Rio Tinto worksites – almost half of respondents experienced bullying, 28.2 per cent of women and 6.7 per cent of men experienced sexual harassment at work, and 21 women reported actual or attempted rape or sexual assault.
Racism was identified as common across a number of areas, with the survey indicating people working in a country different to their birth experienced high rates of racism, and that 39.8 per cent of men and 31.8 per cent of women who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander in Australia experienced racism.
Mining and Energy Union President Tony Maher said that Rio Tinto’s toxic workplace culture had been exacerbated by the mining multinational’s push to de-unionise in the 1990s and move workers onto individual contracts.
Maher said: “Rio Tinto became anti-union zealots with their so-called ‘direct engagement’ approach.
“But crushing union presence on their sites removed a collective voice and important layer of protection for workers.
“It meant workers were dependent on the approval of their immediate supervisor to get a pay rise or even to keep their job, leading to sycophancy, nepotism and fear of raising issues like bullying and harassment.
“Direct engagement has left a damaging legacy for Rio Tinto’s workplace culture.”
Australian Workers Union National Secretary Dan Walton said the findings in Broderick report echoed those in a union survey of WA iron ore miners’ experiences of sexual harassment and assault undertaken last year.
The Western Mine Workers Alliance (WMWA) raised concerns from the survey during last year’s WA parliamentary inquiry into sexual harassment in the FIFO mining industry.
The WMWA told that inquiry that its extensive industry survey had found one in five women said they had experienced physical acts of sexual assault; one in five women said they had been explicitly or implicitly offered career advancement or benefits in return for sexual favours; and one in three women said they had received requests for sexual favours and repeated invitations to engage in sexual relationships.
Walton added: “Our members spoke loud and clear about unacceptable behaviour on site and their lack of trust in managers and supervisors to take action.
“Women told us about being threatened with ‘blacklisting’ if they pursued complaints of sexual harassment.
“Rio Tinto has an opportunity now to take real action to address its workplace culture – feel-good management training is not enough.
“Managers and supervisors must be held to account and workers must be supported to organise collectively through their unions to build confidence and give them a voice to deal with issues like bullying and harassment.
“It’s a positive step that Rio Tinto has released this report and we are ready to work collaboratively to improve the working lives of our members and all mineworkers.”
Rio Tinto has said it will implement all recommendations from the report, with a focus on three key areas:
- A commitment from the company’s leadership to create safe, respectful and inclusive working environments to prevent harmful behaviours and better support people in vulnerable situations. This includes increasing diversity within the company.
- Ensuring the company’s camp and village facilities are safe and inclusive. This includes making sure the company is applying the same safety and risk processes that it uses to prevent harm in operations to create a safe environment for all employees and contractors.
- Making it as easy and as safe as possible for all people to call out unacceptable behaviours, highlight issues when they happen and receive support. This includes introducing early intervention options and improving how the company responds to formal complaints in the workplace
