One thing I missed is any mention of inflation. If you are doing a satisfactory job not deserving of merit or demerit, wages should still be adjusted.
I can't speak to other countries, but the USD is intentionally inflated as a matter of monetary policy and it has done so consistently in good times and bad for my entire adult life (I'm over 40)[1]. If the company is not doing well, and they choose not to give me a raise each year, that is still an effective cut in pay so long as the consumer price index is rising. Your reaction to that is yours to make, but you need to recognize it for what it is.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consumer_price_index#/media/Fi...