Rio Tinto inhabits disturbing racism, bullying and sexual harassment
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Rio Tinto, an Anglo-Australian mining company, has released an internal report exposing the abusive, toxic workplace which impacts thousands of women, minorities and more.
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Rio Tinto, an Anglo-Australian company, has experienced a myriad of ethical issues - from environmental to administrative.
A mining giant based in Australia, Rio Tinto, released a report exposing widespread sexual harassment, bullying, and racial discrimination cases in the company.
21 women in the report condemned rape and sexual assault - actual and attempted.
After the complaints and scandals were released, the administration demanded an investigation into the accusations.
In addition to cases of sexual harassment, one of the scandals was the blowing up of an ancient Aboriginal site in Western Australia - the 46,000-year-old rock shelters at Juukan Gorge - in prospects to expand an iron ore mine.
The report is 85 pages and aggregates information provided by some 10,000 employees in the firm over a span of 8 months. The employees reported bullying, giving it a 'systemic' dye, while racism was "common." Sexual harassment, moreover, occurs "at unacceptable rates."
The report describes the work environment as white- and male-dominated, where females were coerced into sexual acts; they were catcalled and forced to keep a list of male colleagues to avoid at night.
According to the report, 28% of females working for the company have been sexually harassed, with 21 reporting actual rape or sexual assault in the past 5 years, according to Elizabeth Broderick, a sex discrimination commissioner.
Harassers and sex assaulters were not held accountable, which complained of carrying "the burden of managing the situation themselves."
In one instance, an employee complained to a leader in management that one man asked her for a sexual act, and the leader brushed it off as a joke, responding, "I'm sure he was just joking. We'll make sure you're not alone with him."
When it came to bullying in the workplace, according to the report, it was found to be "systemic." Half of the individuals surveyed have experienced bullying in the workplace, and women were the more likely victims.
Another victim expressed fears of being in the same room with one manager, as she endured psychological abuse from him, "I was having anxiety attacks, some of them made me suicidal," she said, telling that she discussed the abuses with HR but did not file a formal complaint.
The company, furthermore, was described as "Caucasian oriented," as almost 40% of men and one-third of women who identify as Aboriginal or from Torres Strait Island reported racism.
"I've copped racism in every single corner of this company," said one respondent.
The CEO's "heartfelt" apology
The CEO of Rio Tinto, Jakob Stausholm, described the findings of the report as "deeply disturbing," and offered a "heartfelt apology" to "every team member" who has suffered from such abusive behaviors.
Over the past years, Rio Tinto has tried polishing its public image by announcing plans to cut carbon emissions by 5% by 2030, in addition to promises to fix the issues in its workplace.
