BRISBANE CHEF LOSES UNFAIR DISMISSAL CASE OVER PINEAPPLE PIZZA REFUSAL

Davide Tamburella, an Italian chef, has lost an unfair dismissal claim against a Brisbane restaurant after he refused to put pineapple on a pizza. Tamburella worked at La Costa and was dismissed following a meeting in which management raised a string of complaints about his conduct. Among the issues raised was his refusal to prepare a ham and pineapple pizza for function guests. He told Australia's Fair Work Commission that putting pineapple on pizza amounts to "an insult to his culture" as an Italian. In a ruling published on Tuesday, the commission dismissed his claim.

The commission's ruling noted Tamburella had refused to put pineapple on pizza on two earlier occasions over the previous four years, making three refusals in total. He is alleged to have told managers that any direction "need not be followed when it is offensive to his culture." He had also told employers to understand "how important it is for Italians not to put pineapple on pizza." Queensland, where Brisbane is located, is a major pineapple-growing region and supplies all of Australia's commercially grown pineapples.

La Costa has since closed and no longer operates as a business. The commission's ruling detailed other complaints against Tamburella, including allegations of foul language and an "escalation of frustration in the workplace." It referenced an incident in April in which he fractured bones in his right hand after striking a metal handrail. Tamburella had hoped the restaurant would sponsor a visa application that could have put him on a pathway to permanent residency in Australia.