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Jaguar Land Rover's production standstill continues, with the company confirming its UK factories will remain shut down until at least October 1st following a major cyberattack. This extended closure underscores the severity of the incident, prompting a visit from the business secretary and industry minister to the West Midlands on Tuesday.
The company has been unable to produce cars since the attack at the end of August forced it to shut down its IT networks, and fears are growing that some of its suppliers could go bust without support.
"Our focus remains on supporting our customers, suppliers, colleagues, and our retailers who remain open," JLR said in a statement confirming the shutdown extension.
"We fully recognise this is a difficult time for all connected with JLR and we thank everyone for their continued support and patience."
Industry minister Chris McDonald said he was visiting JLR alongside Business Secretary Peter Kyle to "host companies in the supply chain, to listen to workers and hear how we can support them and help get production back online."
"We are acutely aware of the difficulties the stoppage is causing for those suppliers and their staff, many of whom are already taking a financial hit through no fault of their own.”
The stoppage is thought to be costing JLR itself at least £50m per week. Politicians and union leaders have warned of potentially disastrous consequences for some businesses in the supply chain, especially smaller companies.
JLR's three factories in Britain normally produce about 1,000 cars per day.
The Liberal Democrats have called on the government to intervene.
JLR's UK plants employ about 30,000 people directly, with a further 100,000 working in the firm's supply chain and 60,000 who rely on the spending of these workers. The company is currently taking the lead on support for its own supply chain, rather than any state intervention.
MPs from across the West Midlands and Merseyside, where JLR has plants, have called for the business secretary to consider loans similar to those offered to businesses during the covid-19 lockdown.
