I guess they have been burning through their cash reserves over the last few months due to 100+ A380s sitting on the ground. They have probably reached an agreement where they have to pay very little for the grounded aircraft (if anything at all) hence they can afford to pay full salaries to those remaining. Keeping everyone on 70% pay or part-time or anything else wouldn't have had the same financial outcome. Accommodation allowance, schooling, provident fund, medical, etc. are all a substantial cost for the company. They followed the financial advise of a 3rd party which was probably the cheapest option at the time. I feel for the people made redundant but its easy to say what they should have done and not easy to make the correct decision facing the crisis nobody has ever faced before. It is what it is. Writing numerous posts here about how it could all have been done differently wont change anything.