More than 100 staff have rotated around the clock over the weekend at the Maloney Drive entrances to the factory.

They want the $10 million owed to them in wages, super and union dues.

Llewella McDonald had worked at the printing firm for almost 32 years.

“There were people making salary sacrifices and the money has disappeared, super funds haven’t been paid, our union deduction came out of our pay but never went any further,” she said.

“This is our workplace and our other family.

“If the factory re-opened tomorrow we would ignore the bad blood and go back to work.”

Denise McDonnell said people and businesses have offered food, money and moral support throughout the weekend.

“People have dropped sausages, a bloke donated $20 and a young couple turned up with a carton of coke and some ice,” she said.

“But it is not easy, we all have families and would much prefer to be with them than here.

“We don’t know what we will do in the future — the average age of the workers is 53, many have been employed for 10 and 20 years, they haven’t had to put together a resume, they have few qualifications for other jobs.”

Peter Knight has worked at Paragon Printing for 18 years.

He too said the workers wanted to get back to the job.

“There are millions of dollars worth of work on the factory floor, waiting for us to go back in there,” he said.

“This business made money and can do again.”

On Wednesday 130 workers were given a 48-hour stand-down notice after administrators sought more time to work through cash-flow issues — including back pay for staff and outstanding supplier accounts.

But yesterday Australian Manufacturing Workers Union organiser Leigh Diehm said there had been no word since.

He wants the administrators to meet with workers tomorrow.