27 October 2008

Air France- KLM to buy Alitalia
De Telegraaf reports Air France-KLM is seeking to buy part of Alitalia. The Franco-Dutch company will announce its plans – to be embarked up together with AirOne and other Italian investors - in the next few days.
 
In spite of issuing a profit warning before the weekend, Air Franc-KLM is planning to take a 15 to 20 percent interest in Alitalia. An earlier merger attempt failed when it met resistance from Italian unions and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

The Franco-Dutch airline giant has expressed interest in the ailing Italian company’s lucrative passenger market and the airports of Milan and Rome.
 
Child welfare fails
A report on the Dutch Child Welfare Council says supervision of children who are returned home after being removed for their own safety is lacking.

De Volkskrant says that, four years after the death of toddler Savanna the Child Welfare Council is still failing.

In 2004, Savanna's case led parliament’s lower house to demand improvements, but it's still not clear what criteria are used when allowing children to go back to the parental home.

"We are talking about far-reaching decisions for children and their parents," says chief inspector, Joke de Vries.

"It's not for nothing that a judge decides whether children should be removed from the home. When they go back, the Child Welfare Council should assess the decision independently."

The child welfare service also comes under criticism because it fails to present cases to the council, or presents them too late. In a separate report, this service is criticised because it does not structurally check the safety of the children under its supervision.
 
Teaching strike
Secondary school children returning to classes in the southern provinces of Brabant and Limburg after the half-term holiday could find the school gates locked.
Teachers have gone on strike over a work-pressure conflict. In the sector’s collective labour agreement, employers agreed to a three-percent reduction in work pressure. But it is unclear whether this applies to part-timers. If it does, it could cost the schools EUR 100 million more.

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