A leading motoring charity has warned that thousands of workers across the UK could face serious consequences in the wake of the Jaguar Land Rover cyber attack.
The iconic British manufacturer was targeted by a cyber attack at the end of August, prompting Jaguar Land Rover to shut down its IT systems and suspend production.
Workers at its Halewood, Solihull and Wolverhampton plants have been off work for around four weeks, while the supply chain has also faced widespread disruption.
In September, Jaguar Land Rover confirmed that its production shutdown would be extended until Wednesday, October 1, with the manufacturer taking further steps towards recovery.
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It announced that some sections of its manufacturing operations would resume shortly as part of a "phased restart of our operations".
A spokesperson for JLR also added that the brand was working around the clock with cyber security specialists, the National Cyber Security Centre and law enforcement.
The JLR spokesperson added: "We would like to thank everyone connected with JLR for their continued patience, understanding and support.
"We know there is much more to do but the foundational work of our recovery is firmly underway, and we will continue to provide updates as we progress."
READ MORE: Jaguar Land Rover provides major update on production shutdown after Labour pledged £1.5bn loan
Production at Jaguar Land Rover sites is expected to resume today
|REUTERS/PA
In response to the cyber attack and the disruption to the supply chain, the Motor and Allied Trades Benevolent Fund (Ben) is offering support to thousands of workers.
Ben estimates that around 120,000 people have been impacted by the attack, including between 50,000 and 75,000 supply chain workers, 30,000 to 40,000 family members and between 5,000 and 8,000 agency staff.
The new campaign from the organisation includes practical and emotional support for those affected, as well as guiding workers to financial and mental health resources available.
Jaguar Land Rover secured a £1.5billion loan guarantee, backed by the Export Development Guarantee (EDG) provided by export credit agency UK Export Finance, at the end of September.
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The loan guarantee, which will be paid back over five years, will boost JLR so it can support the wider supply chain impacted by the production shutdown.
As part of its phased restart, JLR said it had significantly increased its IT processing capacity for invoicing, allowing it to clear the backlog of payments to its suppliers.
Its Global Parts Logistics Centre is also returning to full operations, enabling retail partners to service vehicles and keep customers mobile.
Richard Clift, CEO of Ben, said the cyber attack has been "deeply felt" across the motoring and manufacturing industry, noting that support remains "urgent".
Earlier this week, Business Secretary Peter Kyle and Industry Minister Chris McDonald toured the factory of Webasto, who provide glass roofs to Jaguar Land Rover | PAHe said: "While the Government loan is a positive step towards recovery, we don’t yet know how quickly funds will reach suppliers who were forced to shut down production.
“For many, this means starting up again after almost a month without work - a challenge that brings its own financial and emotional pressures.
"Small and medium-sized suppliers in particular face significant hurdles: cashflow disruption, staff who may have gone weeks without pay, and the practical and emotional strain of restarting operations at pace. These difficulties risk leaving workers and families in very vulnerable positions."
Mr Clift added that Ben was ready to work with the UK Government, JLR and the wider supply chain to ensure "all necessary support is in place for workers".