Comment by macspoofing

>Huh, this tacit collusion being legal thing is mind boggling.

Not really ... If you're looking to hire workers in a particular region, how do you know what a competitive wage is? Well ... you look at what similar firms are paying their workers. How do you know what similar firms are paying their workers? You read surveys, industry reports, public statements, etc.

Nothing about any of that means you cannot offer a higher or lower salary for the same position.