A confectionery factory in Metford has an uncertain future and appears to be in financial trouble, workers discovered recently when they turned up at work and were barred from the site by security guards.

AMWU organiser Melissa Pond said that the Metford business was one of three confectionary factories owned by the same company that appeared to have hit trouble.

"Workers at one of the Sydney sites found themselves locked out a fortnight ago and now the same thing has happened at Metford," Ms Pond said.

"The union is launching action in the Federal Magistrate's Court over the unauthorised stand-down of the employees.

We are also concerned about the future of their jobs and entitlements, which stretch back more than 20 years in some cases."

Ms Pond said the Metford business had traded for many years as Pryde's Sweets and had been sold in 2005 by its long-time family owners to Australian Sweets.

Late last year, Australian Sweets went into administration and receivership, and the business was sold again in March this year.

The new owner, Sugartrip Pty Ltd, is owned by a Sydney businessman Graham Edward Hayes.

Ms Pond said Sugartrip had cut a number of jobs from the business which now employed about 20 people at Metford.

Some Sydney workers had not been paid for two weeks and fears were that Metford workers would also not be paid.

Michael Watson, one of the workers at the Metford sweets factory said he had a wife and two children to support on his machine operator's wage.

"All we want to do is to go to work," Mr Watson said.