Construction cartel whistleblowers offered £100k for tip-offs

Grant Prior 7 years ago
Share

Construction is being targeted by competition chiefs in their latest crackdown on cartels.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has seen a 30% rise in the number of tip offs about cartels.

Now CMA chiefs are turning the spotlight on construction with rewards of up to £100,000 on offer to whistleblowers.

The authority has been handed an extra £2.8m from the government following a string of successful prosecutions.

The new campaign encourages people to be “Safe, not Sorry” if they think they may have involved themselves in cartel activity and to make sure they are the first to report it to the CMA.

Witnesses – those not involved themselves but who have seen something untoward – are also asked to “Do the Right Thing” by reporting it to the CMA.

Stephen Blake, Senior Director for Cartels at the CMA, said: “We are committed to tackling cartels wherever we find them.

“More people are reporting illegal activity to us and we urge anyone with information to come forward.

“If you’re involved, it’s better to be safe, not sorry and to tell us about it first – before someone else does.

“For those who were not involved but have witnessed illegal activity, we urge them to do the right thing.

“We know that this is a sensitive issue and some people could worry about what might happen to them if they speak to us. All information is treated confidentially and we can discuss any concerns that people may have over keeping their identity secret.”

Over the past two years, the CMA has issued £151m in fines following successful investigations into anti-competitive practices and it is currently investigating 15 cases where competition law may have been broken.

The new campaign will target a range of industries that are at a greater risk of cartels forming.

These sectors include: construction, manufacturing and business support services.

 

Latest news

Start date for vast Balfour and Costain carbon capture power job

£4bn Teesside project to start construction next year creating 3,000 jobs
4 mins ago

Plan unveiled for 31-storey London Fenchurch Street tower

Demolition work to start in 2026 for new office tower
8 hours ago

Vinci Building buys tower cranes for first time

Contractor invests in two WOLFFKRAN all-electric cranes at £138m Sheffield site
8 hours ago

30 local firms land United Utilities £500m framework

Minor works deal win for North West civils and M&E specialists
8 hours ago

Restructure pays off as Higgins returns to profit

Housing contractor recovers from £25.9m loss last year
8 hours ago

Former Heathrow boss joins Mace in board rejig

Firm completes string NED appointments to expanded group board
1 day ago

Planning officers to get powers to bypass committee stage for housing

Rayner reform plan to cut out local council planning committees
1 day ago

National Insurance hike to delay construction recovery

Arcadis paints varied picture with full recovery delayed until 2026
1 day ago

Gratte Bros rides out cost rises with profit increase

M&E specialist warns of further upward pressure on wage costs
1 day ago

Sellar’s 36-storey London City office tower approved

Demolition work to start in 2026 at 60 Gracechurch Street site
3 days ago

Roofers caught using phone lights to work at night

Roofing boss handed suspended prison sentence for lack of edge protection
1 day ago

£380m North West housing framework out for bid

St Helens-based Torus aims to build 9,000 homes by 2029
1 day ago

Historic property magazine to close

Estates Gazette has been in business since 1858
4 days ago

M&S Marble Arch rebuild approved after three-year planning fight

Plans were delayed when Michael Gove backed carbon campaigners
5 days ago

£191m revamp funding approved for London Barbican Centre

Construction to start in 2027 on five-year programme
5 days ago

RED Construction tops £100m turnover

Builder maintains profit margin at 1.7% as business nearly doubles in size
4 days ago

Timber designs shortlisted for roads ‘footbridge of the future’

Three of five designs for National Highways propose timber structures over busy highways
4 days ago

PM pledges to fast-track 150 infrastructure schemes

Fresh promise to speed up planning decisions on infrastructure and house building
5 days ago

Amey FM firm fined after legionella kills prisoner

Court fines company £600,000 for prison upkeep failures
4 days ago

Buyers report boom in commercial work

Construction bucks slowdown in general economy
5 days ago

Plans in for £250m Stockport 8 housing-led scheme

Work to start on phase 1 by the end of next year
5 days ago

Galliford Try tops monthly contracts league

Contract awards slow down in November
5 days ago

Erith explosives set demolition record at Sizewell

Watch blast at former nuclear turbine hall: Video
5 days ago

Vistry to build 950 homes next to Olympic Park

Developer signed for £600m Pudding Mill Lane scheme in East London
5 days ago

Inflatable formwork used for 45m tall cement silo

Ground-breaking dome silo inflated at Tilbury Docks
5 days ago

Briggs & Forrester sells maintenance arm

100 engineers to move over to new owner
6 days ago

£2bn Edinburgh ‘West Town’ scheme approved

7,000 homes to be built at 205-acre site
6 days ago

Rayner approves Lancashire super prison

Communities secretary overrules planning inspector for 1,700 inmate prison.
6 days ago

Wates boss returns after collapse of his own contractor

Paul Nicholls was head of the failed Real construction group
1 week ago

Trio secure Birmingham deal to retrofit 3,000 homes a year

Specialist contractors to install insulation, efficient heating and solar panels
6 days ago

Contractor services