Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne said Tuesday that new jobs at the FCA Melfi plant in the Basilicata region "could rise to 1,900" from the present plan for 1,500 positions.
That could include secondments from other plants as well as new hires, Marchionne said outside the Geneva Motor Show.
He added that if all goes well with new production lines this year - such as the Alfa Romeo models at the company's Mirafiori plant - there could be more jobs opening up and plant expansions in future.
That would be good news for Italy's labour picture where unemployment, while coming down slightly in January to 12.6% from December's 12.7%, remains stubbornly high. One day earlier, a autoworkers union signed a deal at FCA's southern Melfi plant upping shifts from 15 to 20. The deal means "a total of 1,000 structural hirings, including the 700 already made," as well as pay hikes, the RSA Uilm union said. The increases at the Melfi plant, about two hours southeast of Naples, will service production of the new Jeep Renegade and Fiat 500X. FCA last week announced a production increase in Panda model cars at its Pomigliano d'Arco plant, where 12 workers who were put on reduced-hour contracts will now be back on the job full-time.
At the time, Fiom said Melfi workers weren't happy about the agreement signed during nighttime negotiations with other labor unions.
FCA announced plans earlier this year to expand production of several models and boost sales, and Panda production at the Pomigliano d'Arco plant outside Naples will increase from 400 vehicles per shift to 420.
Meanwhile, Marchionne warned that FCA's high-performance Ferrari unit may move its legal headquarters to the Netherlands.
That is where FCA itself has had its legal base in the form of a holding company since the merger last year of Italy's Fiat and Michigan's Chrysler.
The new FCA entity also moved its operational and tax headquarters to London.
Marchionne said that if Ferrari does move its HQ to the Netherlands, "it will remain an Italian company" and will likely continue to pay taxes in Italy. He also maintained that Ferrari will win its next Formula One title "by 2018, or even before".
"We have the car, and the drivers are really pumped up," said Marchionne, chairman of the Ferrari division.
"I think a world championship is due: for the Ferrari fans, for its history and for those working in the company," he said.
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