Andrea Garnero e Lorenzo G. Luisetto, in a recent article on Lavoce.info, they report and comment on a news item which has not received, up to now, the media attention it deserves. The AGCM (Antitrust Authority) has initiated ainvestigation on a possible cartel agreement in the labor market, which could set a precedent to clarify that competition must be protected not only for consumers, but also for workers.
For the first time, in fact, the Authority intervenes explicitly on a suspected cartel agreement in the labor market, assuming that some companies have coordinated their behavior To limit competition in the hiring of qualified personnel. The investigation into an alleged cartel in the labor market is underway. concerns the Emilian packaging companiesAkkodis Italy, Coesia, GD, IEMA, IMA, SIA, SPAIQ, true giants in the sector at an international level.
The investigation arises – according to the AGCM press release – from the complaint, through the whistleblowing platform, ofexistence of agreements – formal or informal – aimed at preventing the mutual subtraction of workers employed in automatic machine validation activitiesValidators with many years of experience who wished to move to a company like IMA, considered more professionally attractive, would receive a refusal "...on the grounds that they cannot be hired by the particular company they come from..."
No-poaching agreements are their opacity
A particularly problematic element of the no-poaching agreements is their opacityThey operate "behind the backs" of workers, who are often unaware of the reason their applications are rejected. For this very reason, intervention by public authorities becomes essential: without intervention by the Antitrust Authority, these practices risk remaining invisible and therefore uncontested. The scope of the reported agreement could also include professional figures other than validators. In practice, it would be one of those cases in which companies undertake not to hire competitors' staff.
If the investigation were to confirm the existence of a cartel – the authors write – the case could set an important precedent, clarifying that competition must be protected not only for consumers, but also for workers. Even if no sanctions are imposed, the simple fact of having turned on the spotlight These practices could have a deterrent effect and stimulate broader reflection on the rules governing labor mobility. This is also because there is a wide range of international case law on this matter. The Antitrust's action takes the triggered by a sanction from the European Commission Delivery Hero and Glovo for a series of collusive practices, including a mutual non-stealing agreement between employees.
Several other cases Instead, they have come to the attention of national authorities: for example, in Belgium, France, Portugal, including one pending before the European Court of Justice involving footballers, Catalonia, and several others. In the United States, antitrust attention to labor has a longer history. Already in the early 2000s, the Department of Justice intervened against non-hiring agreements between large Silicon Valley tech companies (the emails Steve Jobs sent to Google CEO Eric Schmidt regarding this are well-known). In a country like Italy, where job mobility is already structurally low, antitrust action—the authors conclude—can become an important complement to labor policies. Protecting competition in the labor market ultimately means protecting the opportunities for growth, innovation, and well-being of the economy as a whole.
What can I say in conclusion? The Antitrust Authority has meritoriously opened another field of investigation on a kind of skilled labor racketThe free movement of workers is a prerequisite for an open society and a free economy. But these practices are a sign of the times.
Skilled labor crisis and new distortions of competition
The rcatastrophic etoric of the CGIL and the left, dominant in the media, insists on describing a world that no longer exists or has become marginal. The classic "reserve army" has given way—for the first time in history—to a serious labor market crisis on the supply side, brought about by a combination of several factors: the declining birth rate that has reduced the number of young people, the inadequacy of training programs, the lack of active policy tools, and the protective nature of family welfare. These limitations they also discourage corporate investments in new technologies because they lack the adequate personnel to manage them and amortize their costs. The companies under investigation are located in Emilia Romagna, where, according to estimates by the regional Confindustria, they will face a staffing shortage estimated at over 300.000 workers by 2028.
For companies in the Bologna, Ferrara and Modena areas, the difficulty in finding technical profiles and workers is dailyConfindustria (Italian Industrialists' Confederation) has launched the "If You Run Away, I'll Hire You" project, an initiative that provides a structured and immediate response to the growing demand for qualified non-EU workers in the regional manufacturing sector. Aimed at HR managers and corporate decision makers, this program offers a direct and supported channel for filling staffing gaps, ensuring effective and socially responsible recruiting.
Yet, according to the CGIL of Emilia Romagna, the half-empty part of the glass is more interesting. In a recent analysis of the economic/employment situation for 2025, a phase of stagnation and "poor work" was highlighted, with slow growth in the regional economy. Despite employment stability, the manufacturing sector is in crisis, with a strong recourse to layoffs (11,4% until September 2025) and over 50 crisis management tables open.
