SMMT welcomes CJRS scheme
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has welcomed the continuance of the government’s Covid Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), in light of the fact that showrooms must close during lockdown.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “With new lockdown measures now requiring English car showrooms to close for a month and the automotive industry facing an extremely challenging winter, the CJRS is a welcome lifeline. Importantly, we need demand to be maintained from showroom traffic to sustain our critical manufacturing base, so this closure instruction was very disappointing.
“We need every manufacturer and every retailer to hold on to skilled, viable jobs so, given car showrooms are some of the most Covid-safe retail environments possible, we hope that they will be able to open quickly, and remain open, avoiding a long term dependency on furlough.”
