07:46 AM EST, 12/11/2024 (MT Newswires) -- BHP Group ( BHP ) and Rio Tinto (RIO) are facing separate class actions in Australia alleging that they enabled environments where female employees faced systemic sexual harassment and gender discrimination, multiple media outlets reported Wednesday.

A Rio Tinto spokesperson confirmed the filing of the lawsuit in an emailed statement to MT Newswires and said the company treats "all such claims with the utmost seriousness."

"We do not tolerate any form of sexual harassment or sex-based harassment. We take all concerns about workplace safety, culture and breaches of our values, or our Code of Conduct extremely seriously," the spokesperson said.

BHP Group ( BHP ) told MT Newswires that they have not seen the claim. "We deeply regret and apologize unreservedly to anyone who has ever experienced any form of harassment at BHP," a spokesperson said.

The lawsuits, filed in Australian Federal Court on Wednesday, accused the companies of sending women to high-risk remote sites and retaliating against those who reported misconduct through demotion, dismissal, or discrimination, according to the media reports, citing a statement issued by the plaintiffs' legal representative JGA Saddler.

The law firm expects "thousands of female workers" at the two companies to join the class actions, Reuters reported.