Once again it's the unions that have caused the airline no end of headaches. They've taken it from a position of a company's most valuable asset is it's employees to one where those same staff are now burdenous. It's simple economics nay common sense that a company has to trade freely in order to generate the money with which to pay salaries. Besides if Alitalia can't help themselves then why should anyone else. The management should have taken on the unions and let them strike it would only affect you if you makind a profit, otherwise like Alitalia they'd probably save money by not operating all their services!
From the opposite end the Italian politicians can barely get their own act together so what guiding hand can they offer Alitalia? The union friendly laws cannot be easily changed as they'll no doubt affect all other industries too, therefore I see no hope at the end of the day. As for other airlines taking up the crews and staff, well quite frankly I doubt it'll happen in any significant numbers. Those same employees will bring their preconceptions of grandeure with them to their new employers and cause comotions and problems before eventually leaving anyway. Though I doubt many wouldn't want to leave Italy anyway. There'll always be thopse professionals in Alitalia that will go on to better and brighter things but not all.....