solidarity in a worker ownership context

["Lisa Fowkes & Ian Hoskins" <ianandlisa@bigpond.com>]

Brian Kohler raised the question of how we distinguish worker owned
enterprises from others.  This has to be a fundamental question for the
labor movement.  We have to understand how we might formulate the notion of
solidarity across enterprise boundaries in the context of worker ownership.
 For example if there is a competitive tendering process, how do we deal
with a worker-owner bid that is lower than that of conventional companies
because the worker-owners are willing to take lower wages to keep their
business afloat.  From what I can see, many ESOPs are part of a process
which sees workers take reductions in wages and conditions - something that
might make sense to them in the context of their desire to save a faltering
company, but which could put downward pressure on wages and conditions
generally.

I understand that Mondragon workers have a 'wage solidarity' policy.  Can
we formulate some principles that can form the basis of organising worker
owners so that the collective good of workers outside these enterprises is
part of the equation ?

(by the way, I am an Australian ex-union official, currently on maternity
leave)