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International Labor Organization warns economic crisis may cause unrest

11 February 2009 15:57 (UTC +04:00)

Bakuâ€“APA-Economics. The global financial crisis is generating increasing social unrest, the head of the International Labor Organization warned Tuesday, AP reported.
"I sense a huge popular frustration brewing," the U.N. agency’s chief Juan Somavia said.
He said European and Central Asian countries were heading into "a dangerous downward spiral" as their national economies slow sharply.
The ILO has warned that the downturn could put 50 million people out of work worldwide this year.
During his speech at an ILO regional meeting in Lisbon and his news conference afterward, Somavia cited no specific examples of recent unrest or where he thought it might occur.
But the global economic crisis has led to unrest in hard-hit countries such as Latvia and Iceland, and left government’s such as China’s anxious to prevent it.
Last year, rising food and fuel costs also led to unrest in many countries in Africa and Asia, including Indonesia.
Somavia said the current economic squeeze is "provoking tensions, political uncertainties and even possible security risks."
"People are suffering, people are worried. They can’t see a light at the end of the tunnel," he said.
Economic stimulus packages must address people’s concerns about jobs and welfare, not just banking issues, Somavia said.
He also spoke out against protectionism, saying coordinated responses by national governments and consultations between employers and workers offered the best way out of the crisis.