Italian chef sacked for refusing to put pineapple on pizza, says it insulted his culture

An Italian chef in Australia has lost an unfair dismissal claim after being sacked for, among other workplace issues, refusing to serve ham and pineapple pizza, describing the topping as an insult to his culture.

Davide Tamburella was dismissed from the now-closed La Costa restaurant in Brisbane in May, following a meeting with management over several complaints about his conduct.

One of the issues raised was his refusal to prepare ham and pineapple pizzas for guests attending an event at the restaurant.

According to a ruling by Australia’s Fair Work Commission, Tamburella argued that instructions from management “need not be followed when it is offensive to his culture”.

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