My gut feeling is actually similar, but I'm not sure it's quite correct. One big difference from what you are describing is that it while reward is guaranteed,

My gut feeling is actually similar, but I'm not sure it's quite correct. One big difference from what you are describing is that it while reward is guaranteed, it is not fixed -- any earnings are on top of that. I can see how it might actually result in people being more productive -- or it might not, that's why an experiment like this is a nice thing to do. Also it doesn't imply communal ownership. It does not even imply communal consumption decisions -- unlike, for example, government-provided services: people themselves decide what to pay for and how much.