Lastminute.com staff face job cull

Online travel firm lastminute.com is aiming to cut costs by axing 70 staff despite claiming last week that it will report a profitable quarter in November. The cuts come as a result of an outsourcing deal signed last week, which will see all the company's data entry and post sales customer support now handled by 7C. The deal is expected to save the former darling of the UK dot-com scene around £2m. A spokesman for lastminute.com told the Sunday Times: "There's going to be employees who'll lose their jobs but some will be able to re-apply and move elsewhere in the firm."

---