Australian commercial TV is a traditionally ethics-free zone, a place where money talks louder than morality.
Despite this grand tradition, disgraced celebrity chef George Calombaris should surely be sacked from MasterChef Australia. Calombaris has confessed to ripping off more than 500 workers to the tune of $7.8 million in his restaurant empire. His offences are a direct affront to the food industry that Calombaris personally, and MasterChef commercially, purport to support and glorify.
What does it say to aspiring chefs or anyone working in restaurants if this show openly stands behind someone like Calombaris whose companies knowingly ripped off workers and only reluctantly paid back the $7.8 million after media and regulatory pressure?
And what does it say about the ethics of Ten, now owned by US television giant CBS, which has a market capitalisation of US$19 billion?
CBS is no stranger to problems with staff and public perception. Just last year CBS executive chairman Les Moonves left the company after a number of sexual harassment allegations were made against him. Notably, he was not sacked — Moonves quit, thereby holding on to a generous severance package. But he was out the door nonetheless.
Will Ten and its parent company dither in removing Calombaris? The early signs are not good, with a Ten spokesperson telling Mumbrella:
George and Made Establishment have reached an agreement with the Fair Work Ombudsman in relation to this matter. George has the support of Network 10. We will not be making any further comment.
Me Too has changed everything, but accountability for wage theft is nowhere near as strong. If Calombaris had sexually harassed a female chef, he would be out the door in a flash; yet it seems stealing millions from restaurant workers is okay, even when the power imbalance is huge courtesy of 457 visas and the de-unionisation of the hospitality industry.
The ethical challenge for Ten is not entirely unlike the call the Packer family made, over many years, to keep Don Burke on the Nine Network’s payroll despite numerous complaints of harassment and abuse. This decision was surely made because his gardening program, Burke’s Backyard, made them so much money. This culture needs to change.
Ten’s contract with Calombaris presumably includes the so-called “morals clause” which allows termination for conduct which breaks the law and lowers the reputation of the show, which the wage theft saga clearly does.
The call will ultimately be made by Ten CEO Paul Anderson and veteran programming chief Beverley McGarvie, potentially in consultation with their masters at CBS.
MasterChef Australia is owned by production company Endemol Shine, which since March this year has been 50% owned by Disney following the $100 billion acquisition of the 21st Century Fox entertainment assets. The other 50% is owned by private equity firm Apollo.
Endemol Shine will do what the television client requires so it is not really their place to universally sack George, who Ten should publicly let go shortly after tomorrow’s night’s final episode.
As for any atonement by George, on top of repaying the $7.8 million, surely he needs to do better than the proposed $200,000 payment negotiated with Fair Work Australia.
When you consider that 7-Eleven has handed over more than $100 million of make-good payments to ripped off staff, it is clear that Australia has a massive issue with wage theft. Just yesterday, it was reported that Neil Perry’s Rockpool empire — now owned by private equity firm Quadrant — is facing a Federal Court action from a Nepalese chef claiming mistreatment and underpayment. This is clearly endemic in the restaurant and hospitality industry.
This is a saga which Network Ten needs to wash its hands of by formally severing all ties with Calombaris in the coming weeks.
But, based on the culture of Australian commercial television, you shouldn’t hold your breath.
“But, based on the culture of Australian commercial television, you shouldn’t hold your breath.”
Case in point, Wayne Carey.
If he was a kiwi, dutton would deport him, if he was a muslim he`d be sent to Narue, but as he`s simply just a Greek millionair he`ll just wait a while and probably do it all over again as soon as Scomo can legalise the working poor legislation thats so dear to all the christian conservatives hearts, anyhow, stop whining you serfs, its what you voted for ,so just shut up and cop your reward.
In case you hadn’t noticed, Calombaris is an Australian. His parents might have been born in Greece, but he is Australian.
Actually, that doesn’t seem to matter. I’d suggest that if Calombaris has access to Greek citizenship through his parents then Dutton would deport him, or would deport him if he weren’t rich and influential.
Wage theft is a hydra-headed monster where the hospitality industry is simply the mob in the headlights today.
School sports staff working – for example – two hours a day are expected to arrive half an hour early to set up; stay late to pack up and then talk to parents about how little Fredrick is progressing. Then they get to be “on-call” for (generally trivial) phone contacts (did you register Simon as attending today?) for as long as the full-time staff are in the office. Two paid hours can spin out to three without effort. Daily!
Contracted inspectors working for engineering companies are given “standard hours” for a site inspection (and no travel time or cost). Those “standard hours” are typically anally sourced, deficient and are less and less from year to year for the same job. Clearly, the engineering house is seeking to make a profit on the inspectors’ goodwill and professionalism.
For decades Disney has had a squeaky clean reputation so perhaps some pressure may come to bear on Endemol Shine.
Except – Endemol produces Married At First Sight which takes the Tacky Trophy, no question. In that case, Calombaris may be safe.
GC wouldn’t have a clue how his workers were paid. Provided he makes restitution and changes workplace procedures I don’t see any point in kicking him while he’s down. It’s just sport for some people.
It’s his name on the door, it’s his pockets into which flow the profits, it’s his responsibility to check that the bills are being paid in full, on time.
I’m sure he is more hands-on nowadays. I have no idea on his business background but I suspect he is/was a bit naïve about how things work in the commercial world. He went to TAFE not the Melbourne Business School, and is a cook who ended up owning a number of restaurants. There are plenty of crooks more worthy of our attentions (hello financial institute royal commission).