About 20 workers protested at a clothing factory in south China's Guangdong Province on Monday afternoon, following the sudden death of a fellow worker. No violence was involved.

The protest began on Sunday and at one point about 100 workers were involved. They demanded the company pay compensation of 150,000 yuan to the family of the deceased.

The protesters complained the worker had been on duty for more than 10 straight days before he died on Friday.

The publicity department of Humen Township, Dongguan City, where the factory is located, said the 40-something worker had been the factory's cook and died from a heart attack.

The cook told his colleagues he did not feel well and headed home on Friday afternoon. He died when his wife was trying to send him to the hospital, a department official said.

The factory said it was willing to pay the family 80,000-90,000 yuan and told the department that the cook had not worked overtime, according to the official.

Local labor security authorities have begun investigating the case.

(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2008)