Women scared, disgusted after alleged harassment at Ekati mine

One of two women who filed complaints of sexual harassment and assault while working at BHP Billiton's Ekati diamond mine said co-workers and even supervisors gave them troublestarting theirfirst day on the job.

Officials with the Procon-Kete Whii joint venture are investigating the complaints ofDiane Taylor and Laura Lorenzon who were both company trainees at the N.W.T. mine site earlier this month.

Procon-Kete is the largest contractor at the Ekati mine,which isabout 300 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife.

In a recentinterview with CBC News, Taylor said she faced harassment from a mine co-worker as early as her first shift.

"He tried to knock me over, and physically assaulted me. So that experience was not a very good experience," Taylor said.

"And I'm like, 'Oh my God, like, holy man!' And I was scared of him!"

She alleged that her supervisor was made aware of the problem, but did nothing about it until she filed an official complaint with the company.

"He had to have seen it," she said. "You'd have to be blind not to. The other trainees, they saw it!"

'It's crude and disgusting'

The co-worker alleged to have assaulted Taylor was fired. Still, she and Lorenzon said they had trouble with a supervisor, who, Taylor alleged, exposed himself and urinated in front of them, as well as used profane language regularly.

"It's crude and disgusting," she said.

The two left the mine site earlier this month. Procon-Kete Whii officials held an investigation hearing on Jan. 11, but reporters were denied access to it.

BHP Billiton says it is monitoring the situation. The Mine Training Society, which sponsored the women's training, is relying on Procon's investigation as well.

But Sharon Thomas, executive director of the Status of Women Council of the Northwest Territories, said BHP should be more proactive in looking into the allegations.

She added the council has heard other complaints from the mine.

"I mean, it would just make sense that someone outside Procon would investigate," she said.

"If the complaints are substantiated, it really should be probably a criminal complaint directed to the RCMP."