Hellenic Aviator,
good question! Yes CX once made it impossible to negotiate with professional negotiators. Not sure of the 'official' status of using non pilot negotiators today though. But to answer can I give you an analogy(sorry, rhetorical question as I am going to anyway;-)
No matter how good a negotiator, how much will you get for a used car thats worth $5,000 if your potential purchaser is only prepared to pay $5 - you prove that all the same model cars are selling everywhere else in the world for more than $5,000 and in fact their prices are rising! Your buyer says "take it elsewhere and sell it there then" - what do you do? Bring in a skilful negotiator? If you can't move the car, or don't want to move the car, how do you convince him to pay more?
What do you think finally got KA their deal last year given they have probably spent the better half of the last decade or so in contract compliance? KA remuneration was not reward enough to retain their pilots - out of economic necessity KA had to improve their pay (about equal to CX!) just to slow the hemorrhaging.
I don't believe professional negotiators, or lack of them, are the problem. You need something to bargain with, something to trade. So far we have given them goodwill for most of this decade and are now reaping the ample rewards (sarcasm alert!) If you want something you have to make what they offer cost less than the alternative - simple economics!