SIPTU has called on the management of the Body Shop and the Government to resolve what it described as the financial and employment limbo affecting 39 staff at the cosmetics retailer.
It follows the closure of the company's eight stores in Ireland yesterday.
SIPTU has accused the Body Shop of ignoring the 30-day statutory consultation period before the implementation of the redundancies.
The union also said that workers have been told their wages have stopped but are not in a position to take up other employment or receive social welfare payments because it may impact their redundancy entitlements.
"How these workers have been treated is appalling," said SIPTU Organiser, Hugh Kennedy.
"Following several days when management could not be contacted, they are now left in what amounts to financial limbo," Mr Kennedy said.
SIPTU activist and Body Shop worker Lisa Dunne said the loss of their jobs was terrible.
"For myself and my colleagues to now be left in this situation where we are neither employed nor legally unemployed is completely unacceptable," Ms Dunne said.
