Staff at HMV stores in Tallaght and Cork, Ireland have become the latest to stage sit-in protests over unpaid wages.
Earlier this week, it was reported that staff at two HMV outlets in Limerick were staging protests in an attempt to secure wages owed to them, including holiday pay and money they earned over Christmas.
According to The Journal, an extra two stores are now also staging sit-ins and have pledged to remain on the premises until they are paid the wages that they are owed, meaning there are now four protests taking place across the country.
Terry Conlon, an employee from the Tallaght store, said: “All we want is our wages, what we’re due to be paid. All we want is what we’re owed.” He also said that staff were close to reaching an agreement with David Carson, the receiver from administrators Deloitte in Ireland, over the unpaid wages. “He [Carson] is saying he will pay us on Friday but he can’t give us written conformation over the weekend. He wants us to leave the stores today, but once we walk we think it’s ‘good luck’.”
Speaking about HMV’s general problems, he added: “You look at the industry in general and it’s down year-on-year but you don’t expect a bang just like that. It was very, very sudden and to be told no wages? That’s all we want.”
Yesterday (January 18), it was reported that video games retailer Game had expressed an interest in buying HMV. Deloitte, who were called in to administrate the collapsed retailer on Tuesday (January 15) putting 4,000 jobs at risk, says it has received over 50 expressions of interest in HMV. These include a “broad range” of parties including wealthy individuals, private equity groups and Game – which is targeting as many as 50 shops.