WA Tourism has dumped celebrity chef George Calombaris as the face of its food and wine campaign.
The move follows the Melbourne restaurateur and MasterChef judge being ordered to pay a $200,000 “contrition payment” after a Fair Work Australia investigation concluded his business empire had underpaid 515 staff by $7.8 million over six years.
WA Tourism will remove social media content featuring Calombaris for the campaign, entitled Create Your Own Gourmet Escape in WA, and has ordered a television advertisement starring the chef to be pulled.
WA Tourism Minister Paul Papalia said: “People should pay their employees and what they are owed and what they deserve and that’s really disappointing.
“What George Calombaris has done is terrible.”
A spokeswoman said Tourism WA would seek to recoup part of the cost of the contract from Calombaris.
There are also increasing calls for Calombaris to be sacked from Masterchef, with ACTU President Michele O’Neil calling him a “serial wage thief”.
However, Ten stated: “George and Made Establishment have reached an agreement with the Fair Work Ombudsman in relation to this matter. George has the support of Network 10. We will not be making any further comment.”
Neil Perry faces court battle
Fellow celebrity chef and Rockpool Bar & Grill owner Neil Perry is also set to face the Federal Court after a former chef announced he would sue after being forced him to work excessive overtime without pay.
Rohit Karki claims he worked more than 70 hours per week, including 20-hour shifts from 4am to midnight over consecutive days without breaks for $12 an hour.
“This is another Dickensian example of wage theft and exploitation of vulnerable workers that is all too common in the hospitality industry,” Maurice Blackburn principal Josh Bornstein said.
“Rockpool is no bit player. It’s a highly profitable business empire which has been cheating.”
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