on one side if it happens some of the younger guys jobs might be saved.. on the other side any future redundancies will place people in worse position financially. Personally I think its a bit greedy staying around for an extra couple of years when you can walk out now with a nice handshake.
Whilst I will not comment personally on the reasons some long timers are hanging on, maybe the company would be considerate enough to build an employment list of those made redundant so that they may be offered a position immediately when labor requirements pick-up or if a position opens (anywhere within the Qf group & subsids). It would be good to see this happen so those effected have some hope of rejoining the industry rather than employing fresh blood, or ramping up an apprenticeship scheme again for future employees with little future ahead.