Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We all know companies can run into trouble and be forced into difficult decisions but HMV also has a duty of care to its staff and customers. It has failed miserably in that duty of care. It remains to be seen whether HMV Ireland has even been acting within the law. Its actions on Tuesday, 15 January when it opened for business but refused to accept gift vouchers even though it was not in receivership on that day would seem to be a clear breach of trading standards and should be investigated. Reneging on vouchers, be it due to trading difficulties or arbitrarily imposed deadlines, needs to be addressed and I intend to raise this issue again shortly. For now, our primary concern must be the staff of HMV. Their treatment has, quite frankly, been appalling. Their safety was put at risk when they were told to tell irate customers that they could not honour gift vouchers or offer refunds. On Tuesday evening, Irish staff were told in a conference call with Deloitte in the UK that their jobs were secure for the immediate future but by Wednesday morning, that commitment was in tatters. Now the company cannot even say whether staff will be paid this Friday for the previous month's work. Staff hired on a temporary basis in the run up to Christmas have already been told that they will probably not be paid. This is an appalling way to treat staff and simply cannot be tolerated. The response so far from HMV and from the receivers has been shambolic.

They must be brought to account and staff must be treated fairly and with dignity.

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