A Muslim chef who claimed he was unfairly sacked from Gordon Ramsay’s flagship restaurant in Chelsea has reached an out of court settlement.
Tama Siby, claimed that he was a victim of racist abuse by staff at Ramsay’s restaurant. Siby alleged he was called a “black donkey” by a staff member and victimised because of his religion.
The 26 year-old took Gordon Ramsay Holdings to an employment tribunal, demanding more than £50,000 for “racial harassment, race discrimination, religious discrimination and unfair dismissal.”
Siby said he had been traumatised by the alleged abuse. “It has nothing to do with money, it has to do with what is right and what is wrong. I want to stop them doing this to others. I work very hard, but nobody should have to put up with this kind of treatment,” he told the Sunday Mirror.
Siby said he was even prevented from storing yoghurt in the fridges at work so he could break his fast at the right time.
He travelled from his homeland in Mali to London in 2005 where he got a job at Ramsay’s restaurant. He sends money home to his family, keeping only enough for living. He said, “My life here is very hard, but their treatment of me made my life unbearable.”
Ramsay, a multi-millionaire, has nine restaurants in the UK and other branches in Tokyo, New York and Dubai. Ramsay has instructed managers to crackdown on kitchen banter. A spokesperson for the company told The Muslim News, “Gordon Ramsay Holdings take allegations of this nature very seriously. The company employs over 1000 employees of all nationalities and racism in any form is not tolerated.”

By Shahidul Choudhury