December 11, 2017 - About 200 coal miners in Kazakhstan refused to leave four mines operated by a unit of ArcelorMittal at the end of their shift on Monday and staged a sit-in, the company said in a statement.

ArcelorMittal Temirtau said it was in talks with the miners' trade union, without providing any further details.

The company, which operates eight coal mines in Kazakhstan, said the other four were working normally.

It did not comment on the potential impact on steel output. 

The company, which produced about four-million tonnes of steel last year, said in September it was negotiating a new collective agreement with steelworker and miner trade unions and planned to sign it before the end of the year.