CHINESE restaurants in Sydney are putting job vacancy ads in their front windows, written in Chinese script.

But technically they do not breach the NSW Anti — Discrimination Act.

The Anti-Discrimination Board confirmed it is not an offence to write a job ad in a language that many people cannot read or speak.

MONDAY: Help wanted ... but only if you’re Korean

TUESDAY: Korea ad row 'just a mistake' say store workers

Board president Stepan Kerkyasharian said that for the ads to breach the Act — by discriminating against potential employees on the basis of race — it has to be proved they were intentionally written in Chinese to exclude non-Chinese people from applying for the job.

media_camera Taste Gallery, located on Church Street at Parramatta, is advertising for staff with signs written in Chinese. Picture: Cameron Richardson

“There is not very much we can do otherwise,” Dr Kerkyasharian said.

The Daily Telegraph visited three restaurants in Church Street, Parramatta yesterday, each with a handwritten poster stuck to a window, advertising for staff.

A staff member at the Sun Ming BBQ Restaurant told The Telegraph that its is looking for a new waiter or waitress.

In English the Sun Ming’s job ad, which the Telegraph had translated, reads: “Job ad — waiting for response — if you are interested please contact us — you have an advantage if you understand Cantonese.”

media_camera A sign in the front window of Dragon Peking Restaurant, Parramatta. media_camera A sign in the front window of Sun Ming BBQ Restaurant, Parramatta.

But when he was asked if the person they wanted needed to be Chinese, he said: “Yes we want a Chinese person.”

At the Dragon Peking restaurant, a staff member said its poster, written in Chinese, was seeking a person with experience in cooking buns.

Its poster translated as “Sincerely employ someone good at making buns (such as dim sims, Chinese pork buns). Part time, conditions negotiable”.

Again, when she was asked if they were after a Chinese cook, she said “yes, Chinses person”.

At the nearby Taste Gallery Chinese restaurant, its poster translated in English to: “Sincerely employ helping hand (mixed chores), a few part time jobs available, experienced, people living in Parramatta have an advantage”

media_camera Ashlee Mullany tried applying for a job at Korean boutique Alice’s Diary. Picture: Chris McKeen.

A staff member said they did not want to make a comment.

Dr Kerkyasharian said if the restaurants indicated verbally that they only wanted to employ Chinese staff, that would be a breach of the Act.

“If a person walked in to one of the restaurants and said “I am interested in the job and an excellent dim sum cook and I don’t speak Chinese” and they said ‘we only want someone who is Chinese then that person could lodge a complaint with us and we would investigate it.”

media_camera Ashlee Mullany tried her luck at a Korean-owned boutique. media_camera Rebecca Gredley tried her luck at a Korean-owned boutique.

The Restaurant and Catering Industry Association CEO John Hart said it does not promote behaviour by restaurants that does not comply with the Act.

On Monday the Telegraph reported on a Korean-owned boutique that may have breached the Act by placing a “Korean Staff Wanted “ poster in its window. Its owner said the wording was a mistake due to her poor grasp of English.