[noelherrick]

I think a more charitable read would be to say that businesses have a strong incentive to increase profits and for many businesses, worker compensation is often a big expense, so they are very motivated to drive that down, regardless of whether their workers can make it on their compensation. That's why we have minimum wage laws, child labor laws, worker's compensation, etc. Even today, businesses would and do pay $0/hr if they can get away with it. Not every business, but enough to count.

Whereas workers have a strong incentive to both make a living wage and to keep the business profitable so they can continue to enjoy that wage.

I think the best move forward is to have more worker co-ops, so that the board is more in line with the interests of the workers vs. an owner who may not even be active in the management of the company.

I would also take issue about developer salaries being hyperinflated. Software companies are not losing money paying developers and then making it up in other areas of the business. Revenue per employee at Facebook was around $1.5 million per employee. The ridiculous thing about software is not only is it really, really scalable unlike any other profession's work product, it can and does continue to make money even if you don't put any more work into it. Look at Gumroad that basically stopped development but keeps on trucking.