BHP Billiton has set out an ambition for half its workforce to be female by 2025 in a move intended to boost performance at the the world’s largest mining firm. Unveiling the plan to 65,000 staff on the eve of its annual meeting, chief executive Andrew Mackenzie said the “aspirational goal” for more gender diversity would make the Anglo-Australian business more accountable. The bonuses of the most senior staff are to be partly linked to achieving a 3% increase in the female staff each year. Some 17% of staff are female. Mackenzie told staff: “I’ve heard the concerns: some employees think inclusion and diversity is not an area where we can make significant progress; some think women don’t want to work in the mining industry, and some male employees have concerns they may be discriminated against, or that they may be overlooked for a promotion. These points have all been raised with me. “So let me say this – the path to create a more inclusive and diverse workplace will be challenging as significant change often is. It will require us to make inclusion and diversity a greater priority. It will demand that we question our own biases when we make decisions, that we make our workplaces more flexible and that we challenge dated stereotypes about jobs in the resources industry.” He said there had been unconscious bias in the industry and that women had been disadvantaged. In the company’s “most inclusive and diverse sites” performance is 15% higher, he said. The annual meeting, being held in London, is likely to be the scene of protests by Brazilians affected by the collapse of BHP Billiton’s Samarco dam a year ago, which killed at least 19 people and devastated the local environment. Representatives of the local community in Brazil’s Minas Gerais region, as well as people affected by projects in Colombia and Indonesia, are expected to present a list of demands to the company. The Fundão dam owned by Samarco – a joint venture between BHP and Brazilian firm Vale – collapsed on 5 November last year. Protesters, including a Franciscan monk and a farmer from Minas Gerais, will stage a re-enactment of the disaster before presenting a list of demands calling on BHP to do more to make up for the damage. A spokesperson for BHP said: “The annual meeting is an opportunity for shareholders to ask us about a wide range of issues and we look forward to answering their questions.” Regarding Samarco, the spokesperson said: “While we cannot bring back the lives that were lost, we continue to focus on ensuring that the families and communities affected by the tragedy are supported.”
BHP Billiton, the world’s largest mining company, is targeting a workforce that is 50% female by 2025. CEO Andrew Mackenzie unveiled the pledge the day before the company’s annual meeting. Senior staff will see bonuses linked to a 3% annual increase in the number of female staff, which currently stands at 17%. Mackenzie said that performance was 15% higher at the company’s most diverse sites. The company has also been working with its employees on initiatives such as “Women Who Work” and “Women In Charge”.