The Belgian government must have been rubbing their hands together with glee when SR promised to take up to 85% stake into Sabena.
Maybe someone would be kind enough to clarify this, but I believe that the Belgian's have some of the wierdist employment laws in the world. It's far cheaper for the government to pour money in year after year than for the airline to go bankrupt. If the Sabena employees are made redundant then they don't get 'dole' money. Thay get paid by the government whatever their salary would have been!! Having said that laying people off would be nigh on impossible anyway.
I assume that if SR stick to this deal, there is also something in place stopping them from just closing it down? If the swissair board want out that much then with an 85% controlling stake they could.