Workers affected by JLR cyberattack told ‘to sign up for universal credit’

The workers union Unite is calling for the government to offer a furlough scheme for workers caught up in the Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) cyber attack after some in the supply chain were reportedly laid off or advised to sign up for universal credit.

The union said thousands of workers in the JLR supply chain should have a furlough scheme similar to the one announced this week to support staff at bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis.

JLR was hit by a cyber attack several weeks ago and after an initial shutdown, has recently stated it will continue to deal with the fallout without resuming production until at least 24 September, while suppliers have been warned disruption could continue until November. Staff have been told not to return to work while production lines are still affected.

Reports have claimed that it is costing the company around £72m a day in sales, while an industry expert recently suggested £1.7bn worth of cars would not have been built as a result of the downtime, resulting in £120m in lost profits.

However, the manufacturer itself is not the only one affected, with garages and firms in the supply chain also hit by the production line being shut down and IT systems being offline.

Reports suggest more than 100,000 employees work across the supply chain in total, with some firms entirely dependent on JLR vehicle production.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Workers in the JLR supply chain must not be made to pay the price for the cyberattack.

“It is the government’s responsibility to protect jobs and industries that are a vital part of the economy. Ministers should take the lead from the Scottish government’s support package for Alexander Dennis staff and implement a similar scheme for workers in the JLR supply chain now.”

Unite say they have written to the government and demanded a voice in the decision making process to represent workers’ interests.

JLR declined to comment on the claims made by Unite. An earlier statement from the firm said they were working “around the clock” to resolve matters.

“We are very sorry for the continued disruption this incident is causing and we will continue to update as the investigation progresses,” it continued.