About your two first paragraphs: Over time that market-mechanic would also have as an effect that all engineers have capped wages, because the cause for wage increases - negotiations - would significantly decline; Everybody, almost by definition, accepts the same wage-ranges.
It also introduces systemic risk for engineers, because then the wages could only go down over time. Because any attempt to look for a wage increase would be stopped short by the don't-share-employees-agreement. I also want to note that the companies in the best position to offer you a wage increase are the top-tech companies like Google and Apple.
And yes, compared to other people engineers have little reason to complain. But I still think this incident is a valid reason for complaint.
It also introduces systemic risk for engineers, because then the wages could only go down over time. Because any attempt to look for a wage increase would be stopped short by the don't-share-employees-agreement. I also want to note that the companies in the best position to offer you a wage increase are the top-tech companies like Google and Apple.
And yes, compared to other people engineers have little reason to complain. But I still think this incident is a valid reason for complaint.