This resulted in production disruptions during September at the platinum producer's Eastern operations. The South African platinum sector has been ripe with unrest in recent months. In September, the country's main platinum mining union declared labor negotiations between Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) (LSE: AAL ,OTC Pink:AGPPF), Sibanye-Stillwater (NYSE: SBGL ) and itself were deadlocked. The workers' representatives argued that rising precious metals prices coupled with a weak local currency warranted a pay increase for miners. While Amplats has remained silent on the issue publicly, Sibanye issued a statement via its website, in which it states it wishes to reach a deal that is "fair" to employees.