GUANGZHOU, March 18 -- More than 200 workers from a clothing factory gathered in front of the local government building in Dongguan City of Guangdong Province on Wednesday, local authorities said.

The Jundi clothing factory workers went back to work on March 14 after the Spring Festival holiday to find the factory gates locked and all the equipment gone. The manager of the factory was also missing, according to a worker surnamed He from the central Hunan Province.

Staff from the local social security department told the workers that their premiums had not been paid by the factory for over five months. The workers also claimed not to have received their salary for last month.

The workers asked the government to help them get their salaries, insurance and redundancy payments.