WORKERS at a Blaenau Gwent factory say they still do not know if they have jobs for the new year.

Up to 100 people are employed at Merton Packaging on the Glandwr Industrial Estate, but they have been told the factory has gone into liquidation.

They gathered outside the building yesterday morning to find out if there was any news.

The night shift had turned up for work on Monday night, following the Christmas break, to find security men on the premises and to be told that the factory - which makes cardboard boxes for food stuffs - was in liquidation.

Derek Knight, from Croespenmaen, who has worked at the factory for 20 years, says staff still have not heard anything official about what has happened.

"We were due to meet the receivers today, but they have not turned up," he said.

"We have got no idea what is happening. We can't even sign on until we know for sure if we are unemployed or not."

Les Rowley, from Trinant, who has also worked at the factory since it opened 20 years ago, added: "We had suspected something was going on, but we didn't know it would be as drastic as this."