This amounts to $295.9 million across the two years of the pandemic,the companies’ annual reports show.
Public fury prompted a government crackdown on generous executive bonuses,with the Australian Public Service Commission recently issuing updated guidance to Commonwealth entities on senior executive bonuses,saying not to pay them unless there were “exceptional circumstances or a contractual obligation”.
But a spokesman for Communications Minister Paul Fletcher said the new guidance would only apply from this financial year onward,adding remuneration paid by government-owned businesses “is a matter for their respective boards”.
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“NBN Co and Australia Post operate in a competitive commercial environment and have to attract and retain staff with the necessary skills and expertise to manage these complex telecommunications and logistics businesses,” the spokesman said.
Australia Post executives who were forced to forgo their bonuses in 2020 at the height of the pandemic’s economic crisis and amid complaints about delivery delays,had them reinstated this year. Rodney Boys,who acted as chief executive for 10 months following Christine Holgate’s controversial exit in November,earned an annual salary of $1.8 million,including a $730,438 bonus this year.
In total,the postal service’s top eight executives will share in a total of $4.8 million in bonuses this year,with each also receiving a bump in base salary. For example,executive general manager Nicole Sheffield received a $100,000 pay rise this year,plus a $714,000 bonus,taking her total salary to more than $1.5 million.