This is a common situation that I've been in several times before, even up to the point of automating the automating.

I had one particularly nasty supervisor who gave me a project, then asked me how long it would take to program, then without fail tell me that was unacceptably slow, then tell me that my predecessor could have done it in half the time, and finally question my competence.

So one day he brings me a short programming project that previously took anywhere from say 2-3 hours, asks me how long it will take to program, and I respond with, "30 seconds". He then replies, "That's too long. So and so could have done it in 15... wait, what did you say?"

I've mostly or completely automated several of my own jobs, and when done with that, proceeded to reduce my co-workers' work load. Usually it does not end well. Either someone higher up in the organization will perceive the automation as wasting time (still can't wrap my head around that), think of you as now redundant, or see little reason to offer additional compensation while moving you into a new position that does nothing but automate. After all, if you were willing to automate in the previous position at the previous level of compensation, why should they have to pay you more now?