Brussels, 26/03/2003 (Agence Europe) - The extraordinary General Meeting of the membership of Union Syndical, which met on Monday, has decided to organise strikes against the recent guidelines by the Council to change the status of the European institutions' working methods (see EUROPE 21 March p 13). A united inter-institutional strike is planned before the next meeting of the General Affairs Council on 14 April. Union Syndical describes the Council's "attacks" on the adaptation and pension rights as "conflict-driven, provocative and unacceptable" and points out that the compromise that has already been negotiated with the Commission, "introduces significant savings to the administrative budget of the European institutions, modernises structures and working methods and clearly affirms the merit principle". Union Syndical is also counting on increasing pressure on the Commission to not give into the demands of the Council (especially on pensions) and declares that it will not accept, "any proposal which puts at risk acquired rights and the legitimate confidence of staff".