Miners’ union calls for action on harassment

The Mining and Energy Union is calling for action, including a potential inquiry, after a survey on mining workers' experiences with sexual harassment drew disturbing findings. Queensland district president Stephen Smyth (pictured below) said follow-up was warranted to cut through 'the glossy powerpoints' presented by mining companies to demonstrate how good their diversity policies were. "A hundred per cent. We want something done. We will be calling for an inquiry into it," he said. Mr Smyth said he was concerned with some of the content that arose from a union-instigated survey of more than 600 male and female workers. "It just goes to show there's a lot of work that needs to be done by all the stakeholders and including ourselves," he said. ".....And some of the attitude, if that's the right word, or the culture of particularly men ... was really just concerning because, with some people, the behavior or what they've demonstrated they think is normal, when it's not." Resources Safety and Health Queensland said it had been working with industry and unions to assess occupational health risks in the resources sector, including sexual harassment. "A baseline review and stakeholder submissions are being used to inform an overall resource industry occupational health strategy and priority areas for action, using a risk-based approach," a spokeswwoman said. "Resources sector workers can make a confidential complaint to Resources Safety and Health Queensland on any safety and health matter, including if they are experiencing bullying and harassment. "RSHQ will report any instances of conduct that could amount to an offence under the Criminal Code to the Queensland Police Service." Mr Smyth said in some cases coal sector employers' diversity programs seemed set up to fail female employees. "... I say that because they think by simply giving someone a job, they've done their part to tick a box. And I think they've realised now after quite a period of time that they haven't and they say they provide the support, but they don't. They don't provide the right support," he said. Programs that fast-tracked and gave preference to female applicants for particular roles tended to set the scene to rub others up the wrong way, he said. "But then what happens is the employer, they're not providing the support and the networks to go in place to help those women through it," Mr Smyth said. He said complaint procedures were also problematic at some companies and the union had accounts from women who raised complaints about supervisors only to have companies 'dig up dirt' on the victims.

Miners’ union calls for action on harassment

Industry Queensland

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