Several unions as well as public across Australia are calling out for George Calombaris to be sacked as a MasterChef Australia judge and ambassador for the brand, after the 40-year-old has been embroiled in a massive wage scandal. The hit TV show is reportedly aware of the situation and has held meetings on the issue.
Australian celebrity chef George Calombaris admitted on Thursday he had underpaid hundreds of his restaurant employees by nearly A$8 million ($5.62 million) over six years.
George Calombaris — who shot to worldwide fame through his role on the television show Masterchef — said he would repay 515 current and former employees who were underpaid between 2011 and 2017.
“We apologise to all our affected team members, past and present,” Calombaris said in a statement.
“It is our priority to ensure all of our employees feel respected, rewarded and supported in their roles.”
The underpayments came to light after a four-year investigation by Australia's Fair Work Ombudsman, which looks into workplace complaints
Calombaris was also fined A$200,000 as part of a “contrition payment”.
Australia’s hospitality union, United Voice, criticised the fine as too small.
“If someone deliberately took $1,000 out of someone elses bank account, there would be a high likelihood of a criminal conviction for theft,” the union's national secretary, Jo-anne Schofield, said in a statement.
“But when you’re a multimillionaire restaurateur, celebrity chef, you can take $7.83 million in wages from your workers and get away with a contrition payment.”
