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Serving Cork for 120 years EE - V1 EDITION NO. 34,814 SATURDAY, JANUARY 19, 2013 RRP: e1.50 Recommended retail price €1.50 19.01.13 The first fashions of spring Page 28 Union Hall community wins award HMV staff: We won’t move till we’re paid HMV Cork staff today vowed to stage a sit-in at the store for as long as it takes to get the wages they are due. Around 10 staff at the Patrick Street music store slept overnight in the building after starting a sit-in protest yesterday. The staff fear they may not get paid for wages owed from December 14 to January 16 after the high street chain went into receivership. Alan Bennett, who was store manager at HMV Patrick Street, said today: “The mood overnight was one of solidar- ity and togetherness.” The company employs around 300 people in Ireland and went into receivership on Thursday, closing its 16 Irish stores indefinitely. A buyer is now being sought by its ap- pointed receivers, Deloitte. Mr Bennett expressed frus- tration with the receivers. He said: “Until yesterday, when we began the sit-in, they weren’t returning my calls. Then last night I was told that if we left the store today our wages would be in on Friday. And if we don’t leave, we could have to try to claim wages through an insolvency fund. But we’re not going until the money is in our accounts.” HMV Cork assistant man- ager, Barry Power, said staff were “gutted” over the closure and feared for their livelihoods. “We’ve all got rent or mortgages to pay and a few of the staff have young kids. “We just want to know that we’ll get the money we’re owed and we’re prepared to do whatever is needed until we get an answer,” he said. Jonathan Flynn, a security guard at the store, said staff had been left in limbo. “We can’t apply for the dole because technically, we’re not unemployed and we can’t quit or resign because we no longer have an employer, we’re just in limbo. “We’re in this together and we’re planning to stay put and rally support until we get something in writing.” Local politicians have expressed support for the HMV workers. Carrigaline Sinn Fein representative Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire has called on the Government to engage with the receivers to ensure the workers get paid. He said the workers had been left “high and dry”. By MARIA ROLSTON AND RONAN BAGNALL SIT-IN PROTEST: HMV staff members David Finn, Billy Browne, Lisa O’Leary and Jonathan Flynn in the Patrick Street store Picture: Jim Coughlan Pages 2/3 TONIGHT WEATHER F L: 1°C Patchy cloud SUNDAY H: 5°C Mostly cloudy, afternoon rain € 978 € 699 Also Available: 3-Seater Sofa . . . € 449 2-Seater Sofa . . . € 399 Armchair . . . € 299 € 17 47 3 years interest free 245843_NIE Sofa www.harveynorman.ie EUROPE ‘Durban’ 3-Seater & 2-Seater Sofa Suite.
