Following yesterday’s news that MasterChef judge George Calombaris has been ordered to pay a $200,000 fine after being found guilty of underpaying staff at his Melbourne restaurants by nearly $8m, a former staff member has slammed the Celebrity chef for his misconduct.
WATCH George Calombaris is slammed by former staff member on The Project:
Orlaith Belfrage, a former waitress at Calombaris’ Hellenic Republic told The Project that the amount the TV star owes is actually a lot more, and she personally is still owed “anywhere between three and four thousand dollars”.
Belfrage explained that during her period working for Calombaris she was incorrectly labelled as a casual worker, therefore missing out on overtime wages that a full-time worker should be paid
“For my overtime it was just explained that that was just how it is, and I can just suck it up and work the job, or leave,” she told the panel.
“And I definitely think that this is systemic across the entire industry.”
“I completely believe there’s more to come. I personally have money owing to me,” she continued.
“There’s a group of people I used to work with that I’m in contact with still that haven’t been contacted by this second or third wave of media around the MAdE establishment wage saga.
“So I completely believe that there’s more back payments to be paid.”
Since news broke of the shock allegations against Calimbaris’, viewers of MasterChef have flocked to social media, calling for the 40-year-old to be axed from the show – a sentiment Belfrage agrees with.
“There are so many either employers, business owners or chefs that do the right thing with paying their workers and have good principles. They should be rewarded – if you want to call it that – by being able to be on those shows.
“It shouldn’t be given to people that are just so against the good principles and the law within the hospitality industry.”
The former staffer admitted that George’s celebrity status more than likely meant that he was being made an example of in an industry that is rife with misconduct.
“There’s just something that’s so hard to stomach about a multi, multi-millionaire taking millions of dollars off his workers and just reaping huge profits and benefits from it,” she explained.
“Of course, that’s going to be something that puts him under fire more than other people.
“Also, the fact that he’s historically been outspoken against penalty rates for workers and other workers entitlements.”
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