The decision of Telstra bosses to give themselves huge pay rises is an insult to staff battling uncertainty and pay rises that don’t keep up with inflation, the Communication Workers Union said today.

CWU Divisional President Len Cooper said today’s announcement was a kick in the guts for staff, and for long-suffering shareholders who had seen Telstra’s profits fall.

“This an outrageous announcement and shows that Telstra management has no respect for the people who do the work that makes their company run,” Mr Cooper said.

The total pay of Telstra's top executives has jumped by more than 70 per cent, despite an 18 per cent fall in the company's profits.

The payouts are contained in Telstra's just-released annual report.

Telstra chief executive David Thodey received a 59 per cent jump in pay to a total of $5.1 million.
Former chief operating officer Mick Rocca's pay packet rose 39 per cent to $4.3 million, boosted by termination payments. Retiring chief financial officer John Stanhope's pay rose 44 per cent to $3.3 million.

“The days of Telstra management hold down workers’ wages and handing themselves huge pay rises were supposed to have ended with the departure of Sol Trujillo as Telstra CEO,” Mr Cooper said.

“Telstra is holding workers’ pay rises to 3.5 per cent, and announcing the outsourcing call-centre, administrative and technical jobs to the Philippines and other places in order to “cut costs”.

“It is scandalous for their executives to reward themselves with pay rises big enough to buy the average home outright," Mr Cooper said.