features compatible? – Employee earns more than Minister Gewessler

Bizarre constellation: civil servant Herbert Kasser earns more than his climate minister Leonore Gewessler. This results in a request from NEOS. “273,300 euros per year. However, that is the lower limit,” business spokesman Gerald Loacker calculates. Because with Kasser’s various activities, there is probably a lot more to it. The salary of a minister is around 18,000 euros gross per month, a nice quarter of a million per year.

This is just one hot area. Kasser, longtime general secretary, who came to stay under SPÖ Transport Minister Werner Faymann in 2007, is also head of the ministry’s infrastructure planning and financing department. As such, subordinate to itself. As a member of the Supervisory Board, he receives remuneration and attendance fees in various companies. Among them ÖBB and, ironically, also ASFINAG, a key player in the Lobau tunnel debate. “That means he’s in control on several levels,” says Loacker, who advocates “unbundling”.

“There are no incompatibilities”
The question also arises of how the many functions can be reconciled. The minister states that the activities of the supervisory board take place outside working hours. A brief comment on the civil servant’s remuneration? Legally compliant.

For example, the meetings of the Supervisory Board at ÖBB last from 10 a.m. to at least 5 p.m., Loacker knows. “Even Kasser’s day only has 24 hours.” Can it all work out? When Kasser was asked, the ministry replied: everything is correct. Herbert Kasser also fulfills an important function for the federal government on the supervisory boards. Due to Covid, conferences are increasingly taking place via video. And: “There are no incompatibilities.”