RIO TINTO FREEZES PAYMENT FOR ALL EMPLOYEES, SAM WALSH INCLUDED

For Rio Tinto staff, the new year started with an email this week from Sam Walsh, CEO of the company, that put a global pay freeze in place across the company. 

Rio is going to get stricter on expense management, and further cut what it spends on consultants and contractors.  

"If something is not essential, stop doing it," Mr Walsh said in the note.

For a start, that means more video-conferencing, and less travel. Mr Walsh told staff he has cancelled "numerous" flights in his calendar, and the rest of the company should follow suit.