Alas, this is not really a solution: A company can happily pay a programmer way less than the value of that programmer to them---and at the same time, be payin

Alas, this is not really a solution: A company can happily pay a programmer way less than the value of that programmer to them---and at the same time, be paying them far more than they could earn anyplace else. The "worth of a programmer" is not a property of that programmer, its relatively to the programmer's environment. For example, a programmer can be many times more valuable at Microsoft--which has network/lockin effects--than they will be at a company which faces more competition. And certainly more than a company which doesn't even have a product yet, like a startup. If you think a just wage is "whatever salary you can get", then I guess you won't find that very persuasive. But if you think a just wage is "one which is commensurate with the value the company adds to the company," you'll agree.