Here is a possible news headline that one day we will wake up to in the near future.
“Gig Workers” Riot in London and New York
September 17, 2021
The Gig Workers Movement (GWM), representing the growing number of independent, temporary workers, organised violent protests and denial of service cyberattacks on major companies in London and New York to protest poor pay, job uncertainty, and a lack of benefits. Movement leaders warned they would stage more disruptive protests unless they received stronger social support for basic food and housing supplemental programmes. The cyber-attacks affected millions of Internet-connected devices and overwhelmed the targeted companies’ information systems.
We are today witnessing more unrest around the world and almost a quarter of the world’s countries witnessed a surge in protest and unrest last year and that figure is set to rise further in 2020. There are 195 countries in the world, if the Vatican and Palestine are included, and a newly released index of civil unrest has claimed that 47 countries witnessed a rise in civil unrest in 2019. The political analysis firm Verisk Maplecroft has predicted that in 2020, the number will expand to 75 countries.
The UK consultancy identified Hong Kong and Chile as the two flashpoints suffering the largest increases in unrest since the beginning of 2019. Neither country is expected to find peace for at least two years, according to the research.
Other areas considered hotbeds of civil protest include Nigeria, Lebanon and Bolivia. Also included in the extreme risk category are Ethiopia, India, Pakistan and Zimbabwe. Other countries that have been identified at high risk include the highly influential nations of Russia, China, Turkey, Thailand and Brazil.
Since the previous index release, Sudan has overtaken Yemen to become the highest risk country globally. Conflict in Yemen has been raging since 2015 as Shia and Sunni Muslim forces wrestle for power. Sudan has been locked in crisis since ruler Omar Al Bashir was overthrown in April 2019. The country has been beset by protests and killings as military forces battle pro-democracy supporters to control the country.
Maplecroft’s predictions for 2020 are bleak with both the number of countries witnessing protest and the intensity of unrest tipped to rise. The index predicts that 75 out of the 125 countries examined will see a deterioration in stability. That figure means almost 40 per cent of all the world’s 195 nations will witness disruption and protest to some degree.
While the likes of Ukraine, Guinea Bissau and Tajikistan are forecast to experience the biggest rises in unrest, it is larger countries that could prompt the most concern. The analysis predicts a rise in unrest alongside the danger that protesters will suffer human rights abuses or sharp responses from security forces.
The UK-based Maplecroft claim that as 2019 is unlikely to be a one-off year we will all have to adapt to increased unrest. They say there will be increased pressure on global firms to exercise corporate responsibility, especially those in countries rich in natural resources where mining and energy projects often need high levels of protection.
The age of major social unrest has arrived supported by the Internet, especially social media.
Gordon is the former president and chief executive of BMMI. He can be reached at gordonboyle@hotmail.com