For arguments sake, if an EK and QF pilot take home the same money that is almost irrelevant as the QF pilot is costing Qantas much more to employ than the EK pilot.
EK have higher additional costs such as housing, medical and school fees which they have to pay in order to attract the quality of employee they want. A premium must be offered to get people to live in the desert thousands of miles from home. EK pay free market rates for their pilots according to supply and demand.
QF are forced to pay above market rates by the union. There are plenty of suitable Aussie pilots flying overseas who would happily return home to fly for QF on 2/3 of the current pay scale, but they can't be employed as the union won't allow it.
If the EK pilots don't like what's on the table they can leave, however management will keep turnover to a reasonable level, recognising the value of quality employees to the company.
If the QF pilots don't like what's on offer they go on strike until one side backs down. Turnover used to negligible as it was a job for life.
Aer Lingus had some unbelievably highly paid senior pilots who had to be bought out as part of the companies restructuring. The travelling public wouldn't pay the necessary fares when they could fly cheaper on RYANAIR, or better on any other full service airline. The Irish government weren't going to subsidise things either so nature took its course.