It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Thursday, June 23, 2022
CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M
Glencore unit pleads guilty to bribery in Africa
Cecilia Jamasmie | June 21, 2022 Glencore pleaded guilty to seven counts of bribery in connection with oil operations in five African countries. (Image courtesy of Glencore.)
A British subsidiary of Glencore (LON: GLEN) formally pleaded guilty on Tuesday to the seven charges of bribery brought against the mining and commodities trader by the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO), which relate to the firm’s oil operations in Africa.
Glencore Energy confessed to paying $28 million in bribes to secure preferential access to oil, including increased cargoes, valuable grades of oil and preferable dates of delivery in Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and South Sudan.
The company, which also admitted to generating illicit profits between 2011 and 2016, will be sentenced on November 2 and 3, the SFO said.
The successful prosecution is the SFO’s third corporate conviction under the 2010 Bribery Act and makes Glencore the first company to admit to paying off an institution or person under those rules.
The anti-corruption office is still mulling prosecutions against individuals as it, so far, has not targeted any people at the company, triggering criticism.
Glencore has been the subject of multiple investigations in the UK, the United States and Brazil over the past four years for alleged money laundering and corruption.
The company announced in February it had set aside $1.5 billion to cover the costs of settlements it hoped to reach this year.
The Swiss firm in May tackled international bribery charges in the US, pleading guilty to violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Glencore agreed to pay $1.1 billion to resolve the case spanning seven countries. It also accepted separate fines for manipulating oil prices at US shipping ports.
It further agreed to pay more than $39.5 million under a resolution signed with the Brazilian Federal Prosecutor’s Office (MPF) in connection with its bribery investigation.
Glencore, which is also subject to investigations from Swiss and Dutch authorities, has said the timing of those probes remains uncertain but would expect any possible resolution to avoid duplicate penalties for the same conduct.
Residents end blockade of Las Bambas mine road, agree to dialogue
Reuters | June 22, 2022 | Las Bambas is one of Peru’s largest copper producers, accounting for around 2% of global supply. (Image courtesy of MMG Instagram.)
A community in Peru’s Andes mountains on Wednesday suspended their blockade of a highway used by MMG Ltd’s Las Bambas copper mine, agreeing to negotiate with the government and the company over the road’s use, one of the community’s leaders said.
“It is a truce that will last until Wednesday of next week. If a solution is not found, we will restart the protest,” Efrain Mercado, president of the Mara district defense front, told Reuters by telephone.
Residents in the Mara district of the Apurimac region had blocked the highway with sticks and rubber tires, according to photos published on Twitter and confirmed to Reuters by a community leader.
The blockade signaled a new conflict just two weeks after the mining firm resumed operations following another protest that forced Las Bambas to shut down for more than 50 days, the longest in the mine’s history.
A source close to Las Bambas said earlier on Wednesday it was not immediately clear if the protest had affected transportation of copper concentrate from the mine.
Protesters on Wednesday morning had been demanding payment for use of the road, according to a source close to the company and a protest leader.
“We are blocking (the road) because the government is delaying land appraisals on properties through which the road passes. It is an indefinite protest,” Alex Roque, one of the Mara district’s leaders, told Reuters before the blockade was suspended.
Peru is the world’s No. 2 copper producer and Chinese-owned Las Bambas is one of the world’s largest producers of the red metal.
The protest and shutdown have caused a major problem for the leftist administration of President Pedro Castillo, who came to office last year pledging to redistribute mining wealth but who is also under pressure to grow the economy.
Las Bambas alone accounts for 1% of Peru’s gross domestic product.
(By Marco Aquino, Anthony Esposito and Brendan O’Boyle; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Road to Las Bambas mine blocked again by residents
A community in Peru’s Andes mountains on Wednesday blocked a highway used by MMG Ltd’s Las Bambas copper mine, demanding payment for use of the road, according to a source close to the company and a protest leader.
The new conflict comes just two weeks after the mining firm resumed operations following another protest that forced Las Bambas to shut down for more than 50 days, the longest in the mine’s history.
Residents in the Mara district of the Apurimac region blocked the highway with sticks and rubber tires, according to photos published on Twitter and confirmed to Reuters by a community leader.
“We are blocking (the road) because the government is delaying land appraisals on properties through which the road passes. It is an indefinite protest,” Alex Roque, one of the Mara district’s leaders, told Reuters.
A source close to Las Bambas also confirmed the blockade, but said it was not immediately clear if the protest was affecting transportation of copper concentrate from the mine.
Following the previous hiatus in operations, MMG said it expected production at the site and material transportation to resume on June 11.
Peru is the world’s No. 2 copper producer and Chinese-owned Las Bambas is one of the world’s largest producers of the red metal.
The protest and shutdown have caused a major problem for the leftist administration of President Pedro Castillo, who came to office last year pledging to redistribute mining wealth but who is also under pressure to grow the economy.
Las Bambas alone accounts for 1% of Peru’s gross domestic product.
(By Marco Aquino and Anthony Esposito; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Workers described the announced closure of the Ventanas plant as 'arbitrary'
SANTIAGO - Workers at Chile's state mining company Codelco, the world's largest copper producer, called off an open-ended strike Thursday after reaching agreement with the government.
The strike by some 40,000 mine workers to protest the closure of a foundry in one of Chile's most polluted regions, was ended after one day, the FTC labor federation announced.
The FTC had agreed with the company to work jointly towards closing the Ventanas foundry, over a period of time, in an area dubbed "Chile's Chernobyl."
Codelco announced it would close the Ventanas foundry after an incident on June 9 when 115 people, mostly school children, suffered sulfur dioxide poisoning released by heavy industry in the area around Quintero and Puchuncavi, home to some 50,000 people.
It was the second such incident in just three days.
Greenpeace described the area around the Ventanas plant as "Chile's Chernobyl" following a serious incident in 2018 when around 600 people received medical treatment for symptoms such as vomiting blood, headaches, dizziness and paralysis of the extremities.
Unions, however, described the announced closure as "arbitrary" and demanded the government spend money instead on bringing the plant up to environmental standards.
Pollution accumulated in the area of Quintero and Puchuncavi after the government decided in 1958 to convert it into an industrial center that now hosts four coal-fired power stations and oil and copper refineries.
Codelco reaches agreement with workers to end strike Reuters | June 23, 2022 | Salvador copper mine. (Image courtesy of Codelco.)
The Federation of Copper Workers (FTC) started the strike early Wednesday morning and claimed to have all divisions stopped, while the government maintained that impacts were minimal after preparing for the announced strike.
“We’ve determined as a council to inform the presidents of unions to lift the strike,” Amador Pantoja, president of the FTC, told reporters outside Codelco’s office, citing progress made during talks with Codelco’s management.
(By Natalia Ramos and Alexander Villegas; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
Chile copper workers begin nationwide strike over smelter closure
Cecilia Jamasmie | June 22, 2022 About 50,000 workers are said to have joined the strike.
Chilean state-owned copper producer Codelco, the world’s largest, was hit on Wednesday by a nationwide strike against the miner’s decision to close permanently an allegedly polluting smelter in the country’s central zone.
Unions demand that, instead of shutting down Ventanas, the company upgrades it. Codelco’s decision followed an environmental incident that saw dozens of people fall ill, the miner said June 17. The move was later backed by Chilean President Gabriel Boric and several of his ministers.
About 50,000 copper workers, including Codelco’s employees as well as contractors, joined on Wednesday the indefinite strike, the Federation of Copper Workers, an umbrella group of copper worker unions, said in a statement.
The unionized workers insist the facility needs $53 million for capsules that retain gases and allows the smelter to operate under environmental compliance, but this was dismissed by the government.
Click here for an interactive chart of copper prices
“Our action will continue as long as the government and the Codelco board of directors insist on the closure of Ventanas and do not greenlight the resources to allow the Codelco smelters to continue as competitive and sustainable units,” FTC president Amador Pantoja said, adding the company’s decision was rushed.
Responding to the Pantoja, Codelco’s chairman of the board, Máximo Pacheco, said the closing of the Ventanas was 30 years in the making.
“We have been discussing environmental issues related to Ventanas for decades. Does anyone believe that after 30 years this was a hasty decision?,” he told CNN Chile.
Chilean President Gabriel Boric, who has been in power for a little over three months, has said he doesn’t want “more environmental sacrifice zones” in the country.
“Today there are hundreds of thousands of people living in our country who are exposed to severe environmental deterioration that we have caused or allowed, and that, as Chilean, makes me ashamed,” Boric said on Friday. Historic reinvestment plan
Chile’s Finance Minister Mario Marcel said on Wednesday that Codelco operations have not been affected by the strike as the company had taken measures to mitigate potential negative effects.
The minister also announced an historic $583 million reinvestment plan for the copper miner this year, which includes 30% designated to 2021 utilities. There will be a similar reinvestment of utilities from 2021 through 2024, Marcel said.
Until now, Codelco has given most of its earnings to the state.
Ventana’s closure will require the modification of a law that requires the Chilean copper miner to smelt minerals from the also state-owned Enami, coming from small and medium-sized companies, exclusively in the facility.
Codelco said that Ventanas’s refinery will not be affected by the measure.
Codelco’s board of directors approved the closure of the Ventanas smelter on June 17. (Image courtesy of Codelco | Flickr.)
Deconstructing Brexit discourses: A critical logics approach to understanding the 2016 referendum result
It is now six years since Britain voted for Brexit. Drawing on a recent book, Benjamin Hawkins employs post-structuralist discourse theory to understand the form, content, and political dynamics of the Brexit referendum debates.
The Brexit referendum in 2016 has given rise to a now significant volume of scholarship attempting to explain the outcome. Much of this has focused on the characteristics of leave and remain voters – particularly age, education level and political identity – and how these underpinned voting behaviour. However, attention must also be paid to the long-term and contextual factors, which provided the conditions for the leave campaign’s narrow victory.
Prior to the referendum campaign, European integration had been a low salience issue for most voters. Opinion poll data had consistently identified low levels of support for European integration and low levels of knowledge about the EU as a political entity. Though UK citizens may not have been particularly focused on ‘Europe’ as an issue, when asked to think about the EU and to express an opinion their responses tended to be negative.
It is possible, therefore, to characterise the British (and particularly English) electorates as a population of ‘latent Eurosceptics.’ Similarly, in the decades preceding the Brexit vote, UK media coverage of the EU, especially in the print sector, was dominated by a deeply Eurosceptic discourse, which set the terms of debate on European integration. This framed the UK and the EU in deeply antithetical terms, with the EU functioning as the hostile ‘other’ against which the UK was defined and which posed an existential threat to the UK’s interests.
While the latent Euroscepticism of British voters, and the embedded Euroscepticism of public discourse, were key contributory factors, they do not provide a sufficient explanation for the referendum outcome. In order to create an electoral majority for leave, it was necessary to connect the issue of EU membership with higher salience issues, most notably immigration and the decline of public services, in the context of austerity.
In addition, the leave campaign had to ensure that people actually went out to vote. Studies have indicated that turnout was a key factor in deciding the referendum result with leave voting areas seeing higher levels of voter participation than remain areas. This is partly attributable to the age profile of the core vote on each side, with generally older leave voters being more likely to be registered to vote, and to actually do so, than younger remainers (but abstainers). However, the relatively low turnout speaks also to a wider motivational deficit on the remain side. This was reflected in the downbeat nature of the remain campaign – dubbed ‘project fear’ by its critics – versus the boosterish tone of the leave campaign.
Critical logics
Through the application of post-structuralist discourse theory, and the critical logics approach, we are able to generate new insights about the structure and the affective appeal of the ‘leave’ discourses. In a new book, I have analysed the interventions of leading figures in both the Vote Leave and Leave.EU campaigns in the UK media, and identified how they drew heavily on embedded Eurosceptic discourse and their key tropes of separation and threat. However, pro-Brexit discourses included important new elements, which widened their appeal to additional sectors of the electorate.
Firstly, pro-Brexit discourses were structured around an overtly populist narrative of an allegedly corrupt ‘remain elite’ exploiting the (ordinary, leave-voting) people. This remain elite were depicted as being in cahoots with the European political class and big business. Their interests are served by the UK’s subsumption within the EU, but this runs counter to those of ordinary citizens. As Boris Johnson argues:
If we vote to stay then I am afraid the whole EU caravan carries blithely on; and when I think of the champagne-guzzling orgy of backslapping in Brussels that would follow a Remain vote on Friday, I want to weep. We must not let it happen… People can sense the true motives behind Project Fear… It’s a cushy elite of politicians and lobbyists and bureaucrats, circling the wagons and protecting their vested interests.
The ‘leave people’ are depicted as quietly, yet heroically resisting this tyranny through their stoic determination to leave the EU in the face of remainer bullying. Despite their own impeccable establishment credentials, the leaders of the leave campaigns were able to position themselves as anti-elitist, political outsiders standing up for the interests of the people against the EU machine.
The issue of immigration was frequently invoked to highlight the diametrically opposed interests of the metropolitan elites – who apparently benefit from the availability of migrant labour and affordable nannies – and ordinary people whose wages are undercut and whose access to schools, housing and hospitals is precluded by free movement of people to the UK.
Secondly, leave campaigners presented the prospect of remaining in the EU as the risky alternative. As well as unlimited migration to the UK following the apparently inevitable enlargement of the EU to include Turkey and Balkan states, they claimed that a remain vote would be followed by deepening integration, including the creation of a European army and the requirement to join the euro. Boris Johnson captured the sentiment:
[I]t is an illusion to think that if we vote to Remain, we are somehow opting for the status quo. The status quo is not on offer. If we stay in, we will be engaged willy-nilly in the desperate attempt to keep the euro together, by building an economic government of Europe.
By contrast, a vote to leave the EU was presented not just as the safe option, but as a moment of national economic, political and even moral renewal. It would free the UK to rediscover its energy and begin to perform its unique mission in the world again in ways precluded by the constraints of EU membership. Again it was Boris Johnson who articulated this point most clearly:
My view is that Britain is poised for a new age of confidence… The fundamental choice in this referendum is between people who believe our country is capable of running itself and people who want to outsource our future to unelected Brussels bureaucrats… The Remain camp will not get away with running Britain down by saying we can’t manage our own country. I believe Britain will have the confidence to take back control and Vote Leave tomorrow.
Underlying these discourses was a sense that EU membership represented a form of humiliation for a once great country, infantilising the UK and its people. Leave campaigners such as Nigel Farage created direct parallels between the sense of indignity and powerlessness experienced by many of their target voters in their own lives and that allegedly wrought upon their country by the EU and the same elites who look down on them.
Post-structuralist discourse theory allows us to understand both the form and content of pro-Brexit discourses through the concept of social logics. Through the concept of political logics, it enables us also to understand the equivalences created between EU membership and a range of disparate, contradictory, and often false, assertions about the consequences of leaving the EU.
Finally, and perhaps most crucially, the concept of ‘fantasmatic logics’ enables us to understand the emotive appeal of these discourses to voters through the juxtaposition of the horrific scenario of remaining in the EU and the promise of a glorious future awaiting the UK once this impediment had been cast off.
In a public vote in which turnout was key and the margin of victory so small, understanding the ability of these discourses to grip their subjects is a crucial part of understanding how and why the electorate chose to take such a step into the unknown.
Oceans and Fisheries Minister David Parker will represent Aotearoa New Zealand at the second United Nations (UN) Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, which runs from 27 June to 1 July.
The Conference will take stock of progress and aims to galvanise further action towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, to “conserve and sustainably use oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”.
“We were a strong supporter of the adoption of SDG 14. This conference is an important opportunity to renew our commitment to all parts of SDG 14, and our commitment to act together,” David Parker said.
“At the conference I will deliver a statement highlighting New Zealand’s action and partnerships to protect the health and resilience of the ocean.”
David Parker will co-chair a discussion on addressing marine pollution.
“2022 is a vital year for action. We have at long last just seen the conclusion of an important new agreement at the World Trade Organisation on fisheries subsidies, an initiative begun by New Zealand and others over 20 years ago. New frameworks to protect biodiversity are being negotiated, and discussions will be launched on a new treaty to end plastic pollution,” David Parker said.
“I look forward to meeting my counterparts to discuss these important issues, and how we can best work together to ensure the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean.”
After the Lisbon conference, David Parker will travel to Iceland to see the high levels of innovation and automation in its seafood sector and gain insights that could benefit New Zealand’s seafood sector.Iceland is a world leader in the automation of fisheries processing and maximising the use of fish during processing.
David Parker will tour a range of industry sites during his visit, which has been facilitated by the Iceland Oceans Cluster, an entrepreneurial organisation dedicated to innovation in the seafood industry.
Iceland and New Zealand’s fisheries management systems share many similarities and the visit will build on our existing cooperation in International Fisheries negotiations.
David Parker will also meet Iceland’s Minister for Social Affairs and Labour, Guðmundur Ingi Guðbrandsson, and the CEO of the Icelandic Fisheries Directorate, Ögmundur Knútsson, to discuss labour market issues in fisheries, automation and challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
News Analysis: What House committee hearing about Commanders harassment allegations means to NFL
Sam Farmer
Thu, June 23, 2022
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell testifies virtually during a House Oversight Committee hearing on the Washington Commanders' workplace conduct. (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press)
What does the future hold for Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder?
He handed control of the team to his wife, Tanya, last year — his hiatus is indefinite — and was fined $10 million in the wake of an NFL investigation that found a pattern of sexual harassment in the organization spanning from 2006 to 2019. The league inquiry stemmed from a Washington Post investigation of the franchise.
Snyder was invited to testify before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform but declined, saying he had business out of the country. The committee chairperson, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-NY, said she planned to issue a subpoena to compel a deposition from Snyder next week.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell testified virtually before Congress on Wednesday, telling the committee that he has “not seen a workplace in the NFL that is anywhere near what we saw in the context of that period of time for the Washington Commanders.”
Goodell also said Snyder has been held accountable and that he, as commissioner, doesn’t have the authority to remove Snyder as an owner. The only way an owner can be removed is by a three-quarters majority vote by fellow owners.
In the wake of the hearing Wednesday, let's explore some of the issues surrounding the situation:
Is it likely that Snyder loses his team over this?
That would be a surprise. There’s a lot of trepidation among owners because it sets a precedent that could ultimately boomerang to one of them. Surely, there are a lot of owners with dirty laundry they wouldn’t want aired, and if the prospect of losing their team is on the table, well … But it’s also a slippery slope. What rises to the level of losing your team? What if people simply want you out and can convince enough of your fellow owners that you need to go? It might be that Snyder deserves to get the boot, but other owners are going to be circumspect about that.
How is this different than what happened with Jerry Richardson and the Carolina Panthers?
A 2017 investigation of the Panthers revealed findings of confidential payouts, including sexual harassment, involving then-owner Richardson. He sold the team shortly after those came to light. It’s unclear exactly how much pressure the NFL exerted on him, but what we do know is Richardson was 80 and in poor health, and there was no indication he planned to keep the franchise in his family. His role in the league had been greatly diminished, especially throwing all his weight behind the wrong horse — the Carson project — in the Los Angeles stadium derby. Clearly, he wasn’t going to put up the kind of fight that Snyder has and will.
Is this similar to the Donald Sterling situation?
The NBA forced Sterling to sell the Clippers in 2014 and banned him for life following an investigation into racist comments he made over the phone to his ex-girlfriend. Those comments were repugnant, as is the Washington situation. Different leagues, different set of facts, similarly shameful behavior. There were reports at the time that Clippers players were considering to refuse to play for Sterling, and they staged a team protest before a playoff game. Bad as the Washington situation is, it hasn’t reached that point.
What should we make of Snyder’s alleged “shadow investigation” targeting former team employees, journalists and others?
Is it improper and embarrassing? Yes. Surprising? No. Those are the findings of Congress, and Snyder wouldn’t be the first billionaire under the microscope to fund a parallel investigation to find out what evidence is out there. Politicians have done it too but it seems as if that would be an obvious attempt to intimidate and bully people into silence.
What about the allegations of the Commanders cheating other owners out of money?
In a letter to the Federal Trade Commission in March, Congress said the franchise for years had been masking revenue — money that should have been shared among the teams — to give Washington a higher profit. A whistleblower alleged the club might have retained upward of $5 million in unshared funds. True, owners don’t like people messing with their money.
First, in NFL terms, you’d find that amount of money in the couch cushions. That’s not to excuse it, but $5 million divided 32 ways doesn’t constitute a Brinks truck for any of the other owners. Also, it’s not uncommon for the NFL to correct a team for improperly sheltering money, whether the club is doing so knowingly or unwittingly. It does happen.
But what if that were the final straw for Snyder? Say it was football’s answer to Al Capone getting popped for tax evasion. Not a great look that the owners would look the other way on the toxic-workplace stuff and only lose their minds when they lost some money. It's difficult to imagine a worse PR move for the league.
What makes this even worse for the NFL?
Two of the biggest NFL stories people are following right now are what’s happening with the Snyder investigation, and what’s going to happen to Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson, accused by 24 massage therapists of harassing or assaulting them during appointments. Both are centered on the mistreatment of women. Both are nightmares.
Sexual harassment at Western Australia mines 'appalling and systemic' Tiffanie Turnbull - BBC News, Sydney Thu, June 23, 2022 A report into sexual harassment at Western Australian mines was released on Thursday
Colleagues rifling through your underwear drawer. A boss demanding sex in exchange for promotion. Unsolicited nude photos, innuendo, and assaults.
These are all experiences of women in Western Australia's mining industry, as told to a state parliament inquiry.
Its report was handed down Thursday, revealing sexual harassment is rife at sites run by large mining firms.
The landmark report described the harassment as "appalling" and "generally accepted or overlooked". Australia's richest mining companies - including BHP and Rio Tinto - run large operations in the state's remote Pilbara region, to unearth iron ore, copper and other minerals.
Thousands of workers are flown in each season and housed in village camp-style accommodation. Critics have long raised concerns about the hard-drinking, male-dominated culture that has been allowed to flourish at these sites.
The inquiry, which ran for almost a year, was prompted by previous court cases. It received nearly 100 submissions and examined some of the state's biggest miners as well as government regulators.
"To hear the lived reality of the taunts, attacks and targeted violence, the devastation and despair the victims experienced, the threats or loss of their livelihood that resulted, was shattering and it's completely inexcusable," inquiry chair Libby Mettam told the state parliament on Thursday.
One woman quoted in the report said she was "knocked unconscious in her donga [accommodation] and awoke to find her jeans and underpants around her ankles".
Another said: "I have been to about half a dozen sites, and I can truthfully state that I have been sexually harassed at every single one of them.
"The degree to which has varied, from inappropriate comments and innuendo, to salacious rumours, being touched without my consent, and being cornered in a laundry and being genuinely fearful I was about to be assaulted."
Other women reported "powerplay behaviour" known as "shovelling", where iron ore would be dumped on the cabs of female truck drivers if they didn't comply with sexual requests. Companies like BHP and Rio Tinto have admitted there is a problem and have previously pledged to make changes.
BHP said it had sacked 48 staff for inappropriate conduct over two years, telling the inquiry it had invested A$300m (£168m; $206m) since 2019 into making sites safer.
Rio Tinto promised to improve camp facilities and make it easier for people to "call out unacceptable behaviours", after an internal review found more than 20 women had reported actual or attempted rape or sexual assault in the past five years.
Thursday's report made 24 recommendations, including overhauling reporting processes and training in the sector.
It said regulators should investigate whether a "register of offenders" could be used to stop serial harassers being "moved on" from site to site instead of facing consequences.
'Appalling' abuse: Australia to push miners to set up register of offenders
Iron ore mining operations, including a rail network, can be seen in
outback Western Australia near the city of Port Hedland
Wed, June 22, 2022 By Praveen Menon and Byron Kaye
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia will push its mining industry to set up a register of sexual harassment perpetrators to help rein in abuse, a cabinet minister said, after a state government report detailed cases of "horrifying" and "appalling" behaviour against women.
The inquiry by mineral-rich Western Australia, home to the bulk of the country's iron ore industry, also criticised mining giants such as BHP and Rio Tinto for ignoring or overlooking unlawful and criminal behaviour.
The release of the report on Thursday followed a year-long investigation into concerns about a culture of sexism and bullying that fuelled public anger about workplace conditions last year, leading to what has been called Australia's MeToo moment..
Australia accounts for about half of the world's iron ore exports and women have long complained of sexual harassment in so-called "fly in, fly out" mining camps, temporary accommodation set up at remote mines to house workers.
"Any case of sexual harassment is one too many," said Resources Minister Madeleine King in a statement, which added that the federal government would work with Western Australia to support all 24 recommendations in the report.
"The Australian Government stands ready to help the resources sector stamp out sexual harassment, which has no place in the modern workplace," she added.
Examples cited in the report included stalking, texting of lewd material, requests for sexual favours in return for a permanent job and sexual assaults.
One woman told the inquiry how she was knocked unconscious in her accommodation hut and awoke to find her jeans and underpants around her ankles, leaving her feeling "sick, ashamed, violated, dirty and very confused".
Another told of a powerplay behaviour known as "shovelling" where iron ore would be dumped on the cab of trucks operated by women if they didn't comply with sexual requests, according to the report.
Individuals who spoke to the committee said perpetrators of serious harassment simply changed work sites or were employed with a different company, the report said.
Its 24 recommendations included having the industry consider an offender register or other options "which could operate effectively and fairly to prevent habitual sexual harassment offenders continuing to be re-employed."
It also recommended establishing a forum to document victims' historical experiences, and explore opportunities for redress, such as formal apologies and compensation. And it recommended changing laws to put the onus on companies to keep a harassment-free workplace, rather than on individuals to speak up.
Other proposals related to improved reporting of harassment, better training for workers and managers, improved accommodation and security at mine camps as well as restrictions on drinking.
CULTURE OF ABUSE
Major global miners including BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue made submissions to the inquiry, most of them acknowledging that sexual harassment is rife at mining camps in Western Australia, and promising reforms.
But bullying and abuse have continued in the sector over the past 18 months.
Rio said in a statement that it would closely study the recommendations contained in the report. BHP acknowledged the report and said it was committed to creating a workplace that is safe, respectful and inclusive at all times.
Fortescue Metals Group Chief Executive Elizabeth Gaines said: "We acknowledge that some inappropriate behaviour still occurs and in line with our zero-tolerance approach to harassment, bullying, discrimination and intimidation, we will continue to encourage our team members to call out inappropriate behaviour..."
Rio published its own report in February which found that nearly 30% of women had experienced sexual harassment at work, with 21 women reporting actual or attempted rape or sexual assault.
Western Australia's mining sector employs about 150,000 people and generated A$208 billion ($143 billion) in export revenue in 2020/21.
"The recommendations are good, they had a good handle on what was happening, and they didn't let the mining industry escape responsibility," said Kerin Collins, a former worker at a "fly in, fly out" camp for BHP who testified at the inquiry.
But Collins warned that an industry register of perpetrators could be open to abuse and could detract from putting responsibility on the companies.
"That would be really devastating if a person was put on that incorrectly," Collins said by phone. "It's the regulation, and failing to regulate, the industry that needs to be looked at."
(Reporting by Praveen Menon and Byron Kaye, with additional reporting by James Redmayne; Editing by Richard Pullin and Raju Gopalakrishnan)
Factbox: Australia's inquiry into sexual harassment in mining
A stacker unloads iron ore onto a pile at a mine located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia
Thu, June 23, 2022, By Praveen Menon and Byron Kaye
SYDNEY (Reuters) - An Australian state government inquiry into abuse in the mineral-rich west has found the mining industry perpetuated a culture that led to women being subject to frequent sexual harassment and sexual assault.
Women have long complained of sexual harassment in so-called "fly in, fly out" (FIFO) mining camps, temporary accommodation set up at remote mines to house workers.
Here is a list of the key findings and recommendations after the inquiry by the government of Western Australia:
FINDINGS:
-Women in the mining industry frequently have to deal with sexual harassment and sexual assault
-A broad range of unlawful and criminal behaviour was ignored or overlooked by employers
-FIFO camps had all major risk factors for sexual harassment like poor culture, gender inequality and power disparity in the workplace
-Managers and supervisors were seeking sexual favours from women in exchange for promotions or permanent employment
-When people are found to have behaved unacceptably, there has been a practice of ‘moving them on’ rather than dismissing them, allowing them to continue in the industry
-Women are under-represented in the mining industry, making up 19.1% of the total work force. This figure has remained largely unchanged since 2008.
-All companies that appeared before the committee stated that sexual harassment was unacceptably prevalent in the industry.
-Company statements of regret were sincere but limited, and rarely included accepting responsibility for allowing the situations to arise.
-The failure of companies to understand what was happening in their work places must be seen as a sign of corporate failure
-Industry regulator failed to record widespread cases
RECOMMENDATIONS:
-Government consider establishing a forum to hear and document experiences of victims, and explore opportunities for redress, such as apologies, compensation
-Mining and other resources companies need to ensure serious
repercussions, including dismissal, for any person who has attempted to seek sexual favours for advantage and that all proper legal actions will be taken against them
-Industry must explore setting up an industry-wide workers’ register or other mechanism, taking into account natural justice considerations
-Mining companies must as a minimum implement moderate drinking standards for all FIFO accommodation sites
-Industry should ensure that sexual harassment and assault training is accredited, fit-for-purpose, and delivered by suitable practitioners. Training should be mandatory and
ongoing for all employees.
(Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
‘Horrific’ sexual abuses uncovered in
Australia mining probe
23 June 2022 BY JASON SCOTT
Among recommendations were the payment of compensation to the many workers who became victims of bosses and colleagues on remote projects.
Image:Bloomberg
A landmark inquiry into Australia’s mining sector has uncovered dozens of shocking cases of sexual harassment and abuse of women workers at companies including BHP Group and Rio Tinto Group.
The Western Australia government report released Thursday described “horrific” incidents at the workplaces, which it labelled both a failure of the industry and an oversight by government. Among recommendations were the payment of compensation to the many workers who became victims of bosses and colleagues on remote projects.
“I was shocked and appalled well beyond expectation by the size and depth of the problem,” Libby Mettam, chair of the inquiry, said in the report. “To hear the lived reality of the taunts, attacks and targeted violence, the devastation and despair the victims experienced, the threats to or loss of their livelihood that resulted was shattering and completely inexcusable.”
The probe delves into the dark corners of an industry that’s under mounting pressure from investors, governments and society to address its impacts on local communities and the wider environment. BHP and Rio Tinto issued their own inquiries after allegations from women emerged in Western Australia’s $159-billion a year resources industry, where so-called Fly In-Fly Out (FIFO) workers are transported to remote sites for several weeks at a time.
Among the allegations of abuse revealed in the report were:
A woman involved in a safety issue was told by a supervisor she could “make the issue go away” if she had sex with him.
Another was knocked unconscious in her room and woke up undressed with her jeans around her ankles.
Another described how a man forced his hands down her top several times in front of other workers and “no-one did anything.”
After complaining about colleagues making sexual jokes about her, a woman said her supervisor’s response was to “force himself on her.”
Sex dolls and toys placed in women’s sleeping quarters; women were victims of stalking, unsolicited texting, and provocative photo requests.
“Shovelling,” where iron ore was dumped inside the vehicles of women drivers who didn’t comply with sexual requests.
BHP, Rio Tinto
The inquiry revealed that BHP Group recorded 91 reports of alleged sexual harassment or assault in the year through June 30, 2021, of which 79 were substantiated. Rio Tinto, from January 2020 to August 2021, received 51 complaints of sexual harassment or assault in FIFO operations, including one substantiated report of sexual assault and 29 substantiated reports of sexual harassment.
“Rio will closely study the report’s recommendations,” Rio’s iron ore chief Simon Trott said in an emailed statement. “The courage of people coming forward to tell their stories has been critical in terms of shining a light on behaviours that must change within our company and our industry.”
Allegations of abuse were also received at projects operated by Woodside Petroleum, Fortescue Metals Group, and Chevron Corp.
Chevron will also review the findings and the inquiry has “provided a critical opportunity to learn, act and improve,” the company said in a statement.
Fortescue’s chief, Elizabeth Gaines, said that while the company has implemented safety enhancements at worksites after conducting its own review, “we acknowledge that some inappropriate behaviour still occurs.”
“In line with our zero-tolerance approach to harassment, bullying, discrimination and intimidation, we will continue to encourage our team members to call out inappropriate behaviour, to speak up and take clear decisive action when they do identify behaviour which does not align with our values,” Gaines said in a statement.
BHP and Woodside didn’t immediately respond to requests to comment on the details of the report.
Male-Dominated Camps
In Western Australia, a resource-rich state four times the size of France that’s the centre of a massive iron ore industry, remote mines that can only be accessed through flights by FIFO workers have been especially risky for women. They remain largely male-dominated, with workers living in camp-style accommodation.
A report commissioned by Rio Tinto and released in February showed more than a quarter of its female workers have experienced sexual harassment and almost half of all staff have been victims of bullying. Larger rival BHP last year said it fired 48 workers at its sites in Western Australia since 2019 after verifying allegations of harassment.
The Western Australian government should “consider establishing a forum to hear, document and acknowledge the experiences of victims of historical workplace sexual harassment,” the report recommended. “Part of this process could include exploring opportunities for redress, such as formal apologies from companies and/or perpetrators and appropriate compensation.”
Other recommendations in the report, which are expected to be accepted by the state government, include:
Ensuring mining and other resources companies enforce serious repercussions, including dismissal, for any person who has attempted to seek sexual favours for advantage and that all proper legal actions will be taken against them.
The industry must explore ways to prevent perpetrators of serious sexual harassment finding reemployment on other sites and in other companies.
The mining and resources industry must establish acceptable standards for accommodation facilities, including security and other safety measures.
“We were told how sexual harassment is generally accepted or overlooked, of the abuse of positions of power, serious breaches of codes of conduct, and a culture of cover-up,” Mettam said. “It is simply shocking this could be taking place in the 21st Century in one of the state’s most lucrative industries.”
New Title IX Rules Would Protect LGBT Students and Sexual Assault Survivors
Biden proposals take aim at Betsy DeVos’ efforts to curb campus gender protections.
Nearly two years since former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos implemented controversial rules for America’s schools that lessened their responsibility to respond to sexual harassment against students, the Biden administration on Thursday unveiled a new set of proposed rules that would expand protections for student survivors of sexual assault and other kinds of sex-based discrimination under Title IX, the federal law requiring gender equity in education.
The proposed regulations would protect LGBTQ students by clarifying that the Title IX ban on sex-based discrimination includes sexual orientation and gender identity. Among other top-line changes, the proposal would roll back a DeVos-era move that narrowed the definition of sexual harassment, and would expand the obligation of schools to investigate reports of sexual assault involving students off-campus. Schools would no longer be required to hold live hearings in which students who say they were sexually assaulted could be cross-examined.
“As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of this landmark law, our proposed changes will allow us to continue that progress and ensure all our nation’s students—no matter where they live, who they are, or whom they love—can learn, grow, and thrive in school,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said on Thursday.
During President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign, he pledged to scrap and rewrite the DeVos regulations, which were drafted with the help of men’s rights activists. Since Biden took the presidency, advocates who work with student sexual assault survivors have been clamoring for him to deliver on his promise. The release of the proposed rules, timed to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Title IX, address one unevenness in the DeVos-era regulations that victim advocates have long criticized. Currently, schools can require a higher standard of evidence for sexual assault cases than they use in other types of discrimination cases. Under the new proposal, schools may only continue to use that higher standard—if they use it across the board.
The new rules come at the end of a school year marked by nationwide anti-rape protests as two classes of college students adjusted to their first year of campus life, with its increased risk of sexual assault—anti-rape advocates call it the “double red zone.”
Biden’s proposal for how schools should handle allegations of campus sexual assault and other sex discrimination still has a long road ahead: The proposed regulations now enter a 60-day public comment period, after which the Education Department will respond to comments, revise the rules, and publish a final version.
Backlash and possibly legal challenges are expected from conservative organizations and civil liberties groups.
Backlash and possibly legal challenges are expected from some of the conservative organizations and civil liberties groups who opposed the Obama administration’s interpretation of Title IX, which galvanized schools to expand protections for sexual assault survivors but also opened the door to lawsuits by students accused of sexual misconduct who said their rights had been violated by school investigations. According to NBC News’ Tyler Kingkade, Congress might also block the proposal if Republicans were to take over both houses in November.
In a statement, ACLU deputy legal director Louise Melling praised parts of the proposal but raised concerns about the move to get rid of mandatory live hearings in Title IX cases. “The proposed regulation laudably corrects the double standard imposed by the Trump administration, which dramatically reduced schools’ obligations to address sexual harassment as compared to other forms of harassment,” Melling said. “But we are concerned that the proposed rules deny those facing serious penalties in college disciplinary proceedings important procedural rights, including live hearings and cross-examination.”
Melling also called the move to enshrine protections against anti-LBGT discrimination a “critical step” amid mounting attacks by lawmakers on the rights of trans youth. Meanwhile, we can expect more proposals to address rights of trans students to participate in school athletics. In a document published today, the Education Department said it will “engage in a separate rulemaking to address Title IX’s application to the context of athletics and, in particular, what criteria recipients may be permitted to use to establish students’ eligibility to participate on a particular male or female athletic team.”
Where did the US go wrong with COVID-19?
Dr Deborah Birx discusses her time in the Trump White House as she tried to lead the US pandemic response team.
In 2020, Dr Deborah Birx was appointed to lead the White House Coronavirus Response team.
At the same time, President Donald Trump was spreading misinformation and trying to convince Americans that he had everything “totally under control”.
Two years later, the United States has more than 1 million deaths attributed to COVID-19.
Birx tells host Steve Clemons that she wrote her new book, Silent Invasion: The Untold Story of the Trump Administration, Covid-19, and Preventing the Next Pandemic Before It’s Too Late, because the US government is still not able to communicate effectively with its people when it comes to the coronavirus.
The Activist Offering: Where Are All of the Period Products?
Pads and tampons have been added to the list of items disrupted by supply chain shortages. Here are some tips for fellow menstruators.
Shelves running out of menstrual hygiene products.
There has been a recent addition to the list of items disrupted by supply chain shortages that might surprise you: menstrual hygiene products.
Menstrual products can’t be purchased using food stamps, and with the added cost of gas, it might be impossible for someone to find the products they actually need by driving to a different pharmacy or grocery store.
Shoppers have been posting pictures of bare shelves that were once filled with pads, tampons, and other menstrual products in pharmacies across the country. Currently, it’s difficult to pinpoint what exactly is causing the shortage, but it’s safe to say that the supply chain disruptions that have affected other products such as food, baby formula, and gas are contributing to the dearth of menstrual products available.
According to The Washington Post, the average cost of tampons has increased by nearly 10 percent in the past year. Some manufacturers claim that cotton and other materials have been difficult to source.
While some people might be just mildly inconvenienced by not being able to find their preferred brand or type of menstrual product, others struggle to afford the steeper prices or are unable to travel further to find the products they need in stock. Inadequate access to menstrual hygiene supplies is a matter of reproductive justice. This shortage is particularly affecting those who are already struggling to make ends meet, such as young people and people of color.
Menstrual products can’t be purchased using food stamps, and with the added cost of gas, it might be impossible for someone to find the products they actually need by driving to a different pharmacy or grocery store. Coupled with the fact that half of the states in this country impose something called a Pink Tax, which categorizes menstrual products as luxury goods, there is a growing panic among those who need these products.
The organization I Support The Girls is actively calling for donations of any tampons and pads as long as they’re sealed, even going so far as to request open boxes.
But people need menstrual supplies for more than just periods. Medication abortions induce heavy bleeding that requires a person to wear thick pads after their abortions. And, while heavy bleeding typically doesn’t occur after a surgical abortion, most patients will need to wear pads after their procedures. For those experiencing the tragedy of a miscarriage, having pads available is a critical part of healing.
As abortions become more inaccessible and more expensive, the additional burden of spending upward of $60 for one box of pads can be insurmountable. It’s also unclear how this will impact incarcerated menstruators, who already have an extraordinarily difficult time acquiring an adequate amount of menstrual hygiene products.
To me, this harkens back to the days when people were shunned for being on their period, when menstruation forced people to isolate themselves to manage their cycles. For some people, that reality never ended. In the past few years, we have made progress toward gender equity by making free menstrual products readily available in schools, libraries, and other public places. The number of people forced to stay home from school or work due to insufficient menstrual products has decreased tremendously. I can’t help but fear that a nationwide shortage of basic period products will reverse and maybe even worsen this.
It’s critical to remember that, even though there is a shortage of menstrual supplies, keeping tampons in the vagina for longer than recommended to prolong their use is dangerous.
For those who can afford to do so, switching to reusable methods could alleviate the burden from those who are unable to afford to do so. For example, menstrual cups and discs come in a variety of shapes and sizes that can be worn for up to twelve hours and washed after each use—and they can last up to ten years. And while cloth pads might take a bit of elbow grease to clean at the end of your cycle, they can replace the need for a box of pads every month. There are also plenty of online tutorials on how to make your own period products with a cotton t-shirt, needle, and thread.
I personally recently decided to commit to only using reusable menstrual products. I’ve used reusable products in the past but never completely got rid of my disposables. However, given the shortage and knowing that the cost of pads and tampons is at the very edge of my budget, I was able to make the upfront cost of buying reusable period products from a small, woman-owned business called Gladrags. This will save me money in the long run, but I know that solely relying on reusables might not be a reality for others.
For people using contraceptives, finding a form of birth control that will prevent your period entirely might also be an appealing alternative to buying single-use menstrual products.
You can donate sealed menstrual products to your local domestic violence or homeless shelters, and, if there are menstrual products available at your local pharmacy, consider only taking one box at a time—and leave some for the next person who needs them.
Steph Black is an abortion activist and writer based in Washington, D.C. She also writes a column, "The Activist Offering," for The Progressive. Read her work at stephblackstrategies.com
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