Construction Recruitment Forum: collective boycott and price-fixing

Office of Fair Trading (OFT) closed Competition Act 1998 case.

• From: Competition and Markets Authority
• Published: 30 September 2009

• Case type: CA98 and civil cartels
• Case state: Closed
• Market sector: Distribution and service industries
• Outcome: CA98 - infringement Chapter I
• Opened: 31 May 2006
• Closed: 30 September 2009

Case reference: CE/7510-06

Summary of work

The OFT has completed its investigation into collective boycott and alleged price fixing by certain recruitment agencies in breach of the Chapter I prohibition of the Competition Act 1998.

On 30 September 2009 the OFT announced its final decision imposing fines totalling £39.27 million on six recruitment agencies for price-fixing and the collective boycott of another company in the supply of candidates to the construction industry. On 13 November 2009 the OFT published the non-confidential version of this Decision.

Three out of six recruitment agencies appealed the decision to the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT). These appeals concerned the level of the penalty imposed by the OFT. The CAT handed down its judgment on 1 April 2011.

Related documents

• Case decision page

• A non-confidential version of the Decision (pdf 1.21Mb)

• Case Q&As (pdf 79kb)

• Parties and Fines (pdf 45kb).

• Press release 'OFT statement on Competition Appeal Tribunal’s judgment in construction recruitment forum case' (1 April 2011)

• Press release OFT fines recruitment agencies for a collective boycott and price fixing cartel (30 September 2009)

Published 30 September 2009