Nearly a thousand workers have blocked the entrance of an office building in Shenzhen, voicing fears over an upcoming company merger.

Hundreds strike at Japanese-owned factory in S China

Workers have blocked the entrance to the office building of Shenzhen Hailiang Storage Product Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, and the crowd did not disperse until night, said an official from the local publicity department.

Participants of the protest have voiced fears of their interests being compromised if the factory were sold to Western Digital, an American hard drive producer.

In March, the American company signed a pact to purchase Hitachi Global Storage Technologies. If finalized, the merger would be completed next March, said Wang Sa, a spokesman of Hailiang.

Some workers said the merger might require the signing of a new employment contract, which they fear could eliminate their time accumulated at the company, while others suspect the factory has taken funds meant for workers.

The factory said it had reported the situation to its Japanese headquarters and would soon respond to the workers. Local labor authorities have joined the negotiation.

So far the protest has been peaceful.