The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) has launched a formal investigation into Akkodis Italy, Coesia, G.D, I.E.M.A., I.M.A., S.I.A., and SPAIQ for an alleged restrictive agreement concerning specialized labor. The inquiry focuses on a suspected “no-poach” pact designed to limit the mobility of automatic packaging machine validators across the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, and tobacco industries.
According to the regulator, the firms reportedly coordinated to ensure that no participant would hire technical staff who had previously worked for another company within the group. This case represents the AGCM’s first antitrust investigation into a restrictive agreement specifically targeting the labor market, treating labor as a “competitive input” much like raw materials or technology.
Potential Legal and Financial Consequences
If the allegations are proven, the companies could face severe administrative penalties. Under Italian and EU antitrust law, the AGCM has the power to impose fines of up to 10% of a company’s total annual turnover. Recent high-profile cartel cases in Italy have seen fines reaching hundreds of millions of euros, such as the €936 million penalty recently levied against major fuel operators.