Last week we reported that staff at the Allans Billy Hyde music chain had been told to stop using heating and air-conditioning in order to cut costs. Since then we have also been told that the business owes thousands of dollars of back-pay to hundreds of staff, after the business failed to keep up with the award wages for its workers. We are also told that three of the chain’s stores, in Underwood, Mermaid Beach and Parramatta, will be closing by the end of the year. Brian Kelly, the business’ commercial director, has not returned calls or emails from Crikey on these questions, although we are aware that staff have been warned about talking to the media. Staff have been told that back-pay will be paid by the end of the year. It’s unclear why there are issues at Allans Billy Hyde; the owner of the chain, Con Gallin, sold a development site in Melbourne’s sought after Fishermen’s Bend area for $7.5 million earlier this year. Gallin bought the chain in 2012 after it had gone into administration, reopening many stores. The chain currently has 10 stores nationwide.