Good sales of the new Jeep Renegade and Fiat 500X will enable the addition of more than 1,000 new workers over the next three months at FCA’s Melfi plant where more than EUR1bn (US$1.18bn) has been spent to build the new models.
Once stable demand levels have been determined in the more than 100 markets where the new models are to be sold, these workers (initially hired on temporary contracts) could be offered a new form of contract under Italian law, currently undergoing legislative approval, that would offer increasing security over time.
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An additional 350 workers will also be transferred on a temporary basis from the group’s Cassino and Pomigliano d’Arco plants. The increase in workforce will enable full utilisation of the plant’s production capacity.
Plans call for approximately 300 new workers to begin as early as 19 January, together with around 100 employees from the Cassino plant.
FCA also notified trade unions the temporary layoff scheme (Cassa Integrazione Straordinaria) is to be discontinued, resulting in the return to work of all 5,418 plant employees.
Launched at the end of September 2014, by December the Renegade was already ranked among the top 10 selling vehicles in Italy. For both FCA and the Jeep brand, the new vehicle marks entry to the small SUV segment.
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By GlobalDataThe initial response to the Fiat 500X has also been positive with some 1,500 orders already having been placed in advance of the official launch at Italian dealers in the coming weeks.
