Italian chef’s unfair dismissal claim fails after pineapple pizza dispute

An Italian chef who refused three times over four years to put pineapple on pizza has lost his unfair dismissal claim after filing it too late, according to a Fair Work Commission ruling reported by the BBC.

Davide Tamburella was sacked in May from the now-closed La Costa restaurant in Brisbane. The dispute over ham and pineapple pizza was among several concerns raised by management, including complaints about his language, communication style and frustration at work.

The commission said Tamburella considered adding pineapple an insult to his culture. At a meeting with management, he had argued that instructions need not be followed if they were offensive to his culture. He had also previously asked his boss to check how important it was to Italians not to put pineapple on pizza.

The ruling noted that this was the third time in four years he had refused to use the fruit. It also described an incident in April in which Tamburella fractured bones in his right hand after striking a metal handrail.

Tamburella had hoped the restaurant would sponsor a skilled-worker visa that could lead to permanent residency. The restaurant ended that process after dismissing him, the tribunal heard.

His unfair dismissal claim failed because it was lodged after the deadline. The BBC said it had approached Tamburella for comment. Restaurant managing director Elliot Ingram told the Daily Mail there was “more to this story than a pizza topping”.