So why did Mr. Dixon get such a big payout and why was he paid so much? And aren't EBA's about give and take too?
Easy, Dixon was payed that because the board of directors as representatives of the owners of QANTAS believed that his
individual knowledge / skill produced more than that for the company.
No EBA's aren't about give and take. They are about take. They are about an organisation using an effective monopoly of labor supply to force another party to pay them more than they are worth in a free market. It's not "organised labor" taking from management. It's about "organised labour" taking from those who would otherwise be employed. A company isn't going to reduce the salary of the board of directors salary because of your EBA. They will hire less engineers, flight attendants, pilots, and attempt to outsource to parties who accept the market rate.