The miners chose a typical and powerful form of protest, recently employed by Chilean miners, as they refused to return to the surface after their shift ended, obstructing the regular flow of labor and production at the mines. Simultaneous action took place in four mines owned by ArcelorMittal Temirtau (AMT), a subsidiary of Luxembourg-registered steel giant ArcelorMittal, all located in the central Karaganda region. In the following days, the strike expanded to all eight mines controlled by AMT.