This article focuses on the experiences of worker-recovered enterprises in Brazil that became self-managed organizations. By tracing their origins, characteristics and relations to the widest field of Solidarity Economy, we discuss some of their present challenges, including their relationship with the State, the trade unions and others. We start by outlining the major discussions about adequate terminology, which at the same time provides the first insights into the social and economic structure of the sector. In the following parts we briefly portray the history of worker-recovered enterprises in Brazil, followed by some exemplary enterprises, which were successfully taken over by their workers, and leading to the institutional surroundings of the Brazilian Solidarity Economy sector. The article then goes into more detail and will try to systematize the different kinds of enterprises active in the sector, finishing with a discussion of the most important current challenges and perspectives of worker-recovered enterprises.
