The Tesco supermarket in the Polish city of Tychy had to shut down for two hours February 20 as disgruntled workers held a two-hour warning strike.

The workers are demanding a pay increase. Wages at Tesco run from about 220 to 300 euros are month. They are demanding a wage increase of close to 200 euros a month.

A Tesco executive from England was flown in to Tychy for the event. The firm hired scabs from a temp agency to replace the cashiers who would be striking but this did not help. The striking employees blocked the entrance of the supermarket.

Tesco eventually had to shut down the store and quite a few people left without paying during the disruption.

Unionists who were organizing the action were threatned with disciplanary procedures. Tesco has called the strike illegal.