Melbourne mayoral candidate plans to ban remote working for four days a week

Working from home is out of favour for Anthony Koutoufides, who is a mayoral candidate for Melbourne. Photo / 123RF

A candidate for Lord Mayor of Melbourne has proposed an audacious plan to “enliven” the city centre by mandating that workers spend at least four days a week in their offices.

The plan, by former AFL star Anthony Koutoufides, has been slammed by workers’ advocates who say the Lord Mayor has “no right or ability” to interfere.

Koutoufides, who made his name playing for Carlton, told 3AW that part of his vision for the city involved getting people back “mingling” with colleagues and patronising businesses in the city.

“In our lovely city, many businesses are closing down, residents currently do not feel safe, shop fronts are vacant, government workers have not returned to the city to work since the pandemic and the current economic and cost-of-living crisis has increased homelessness in the CBD,” 51-year-old Koutoufides said in a statement announcing his candidacy last week.

“The pandemic has been over for a long time, so our first priority is to bring government and corporate workers back to the city.

“We will work with the state government to introduce new laws that government and corporate workers must work at least four days a week in their office to enliven the city.”

His suggestions prompted a furious backlash from Victorian Trades Hall Council secretary Luke Hilakari who told news.com.au that the mayor’s office had “no right or ability” to get between workers and their bosses.

“Since the pandemic many city-based workers have developed new ways of working that better serve the needs of their families, increase productivity and reduce stress,” Hilakari said.

“We’re not going to give all that up for Anthony Koutoufites or anyone.

“Workers decide how we spend our money. Ideas to force people back to the CBD to subsidise unsuccessful city businesses will only come at the expense of local small businesses in the suburbs.”

The wannabe mayor says the city needs its workers back. Photo / 123RF

The proposal found support from Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra who told news.com.au that business would support it.

Guerra said it would be up to individual employers to make it happen but urged the state government to lead the way by enforcing its own three-day minimum days in the office.

That does not look likely to happen, with the Victorian Government saying it won’t budge.

“We have no plans to roll back the existing flexible working arrangements,” Premier Jacinta Allan’s office said in a statement earlier this month.

“We know that flexibility in the workplace helps more women stay in work and more women in the workforce is better for everyone.”