Bishops file class action suit

The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference has initiated a class-action suit against a global mining company on behalf of current and former miners who turned to the Church for help after contracting incurable lung diseases.

WelCom September 2023

The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference has initiated a class-action suit against a global mining company on behalf of current and former miners who turned to the Church for help after contracting incurable lung diseases. An application for certification of a class action accuses the mining company, South32, of failing to provide workers with adequate training, equipment, and a safe working environment. The application alleges the company failed to create procedures and protections required by law and asks the court to order compensation to be paid to those workers. South32 is a multibillion-dollar metal mining company based in Perth, Australia, that operates in six countries.