Yeah I agree with brehme here. The optics are just TERRIBLE with this one.
It doesn't go well with whet just happened. Steven comes back to the country right there to celebrate the Scudetto. He comes in, rides the success wave by waving the flag in Inter tower, getting praise everywhere, celebrates with the squad in Appiano. And then he asks to cut salaries, which have been paid late for almost the past year. Apparently they are getting paid their Jan-April salaries now in May. It's like he was not involved to the project in any way, denied money from the players but then appears immediately when there are success you can take part in.
So kind of get the absolute no to any cuts. Further deferring the payments should be okay though. They can manage and will be paid eventually all the money.
Edit. Comparing to multinational companies doesn't quite work in this one. Maybe if you compare players to some high level executives who are paid a lot in that company. Players and directors are of course not some random employees in multinational company. These guys are the ones which dictate if the company succeeds or fails. And specially in Italy, the owner and/president needs to be around. He needs to be involved, SPECIALLY if there are issues like financial ones which affect these "high level executives". The comparison was just off F-C.