Dutch recruiter Randstad is to be investigated by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), following its merger with rival Vedior earlier this year.

The investigation relates to alleged price fixing in relation to a collective boycott of a third-party vendor in the construction and engineering recruitment industry in the UK, involving several recruiters which were at the time subsidiaries of Vedior (Hill McGlynn and Beresford Blake Thomas).

A Warwick Associates Ltd of 2 Nelson Street, Southend on Sea, Essex, CDI AndersElite, Eden Brown, Fusion People, Hays Specialist Recruitment, Henry Recruitment are also under investigation.

The Statement of Objections is confidential, does not indicate a finding of guilt and each of the concerned recruiters now have the opportunity to respond to the allegations. Randstad has said it will fully cooperate with the OFT.

Randstad stressed it was fully aware of the investigation by the OFT at the time of its merger with Vedior and expects any possible outcome to be non-material to the result of the Randstad Group.