Advertisement

Some federal bureaucrats could pocket $50,000 for delivering job cuts

Austerity, it seems, is not for everybody in Ottawa.

While thousands of public service workers prepare for the 'unemployment lines,' many senior bureaucrats will actually be getting some big fat bonuses.

According to an iPolitics report, the government has tied about 40 per cent of executives' 2012 bonus to how well they cut costs in their departments during the government's strategic and operating review.

The article notes that those at the very top of the government's executive ranks - the 'assistant deputy' types - are eligible to earn up to 26 per cent of their salary in bonuses and performance pay.

Salaries at that level ranged from $148,600 to $195,300 last year. That means an executive in those classifications who surpasses expectations can receive between $38,636 and $50,778.

Lower level executives, according to report, can earn bonuses of between $15,400 and $23,145.

By comparison, the federal government is aiming to eliminate 19,200 federal public service positions across the country.

Just last week, according to CBC News, more than 5,500 federal service employees were notified that their jobs are on the line.

The Canada Border Services Agency has 1,137 employees that received notices and other departments with high numbers of affected PSAC members include Health Canada (715), Agriculture Canada (689), the Public Health Agency of Canada (483) and the Canadian International Development Agency (534).

Patty Ducharme, national executive vice-president for the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) said she was "appalled" to find out just how much executives stand to potentially benefit for cutting jobs.

"What I think is really telling about this government's priorities is that they are paying people massive performance pay while they slash and burn services, based on how deeply they cut services," she told iPolitics.