Key points:

. Firefighters to ballot on joining local government employees' pensions strike
. Police, ambulance and other public employees exempt from changes
. Finance minister challenges unions to test opposition to changes in court 

Key quote:

"Police and ambulance workers have been granted protection for current members of their pension schemes. We don't understand why we are being singled out for worse treatment, and the public will not understand it either" - Roddy Robertson, Scottish chairman of the Fire Brigade Union

Story in full:

The pressure on the Scottish Executive over pensions reform intensified last night after firefighters pledged to join other unions in taking strike action over changes to public-sector retirement benefits. 

Leaders of the Fire Brigades Union in Scotland promised to ballot their 5,000 members to give them a mandate to join 200,000 local government employees in a "co-ordinated campaign" of strikes to protect their pension arrangements. 

FBU members in Scotland are angry that the UK government wants to cut pension benefits to all their members, while insisting only that new recruits to the police and ambulance service accept cuts to their entitlement. 

The FBU has common cause with the Unison and GMB unions who are furious that the Executive is to end the "rule of 85" deal, which allows workers to retire on a full pension at 60 if their age and years of service add up to 85 or more. 

If the strike goes ahead, it will be the first by FBU members in Scotland since 2003. Roddy Robertson, the union's Scottish chairman, said: "Fire crews feel they have been kicked in the teeth. Politicians are quick to publicly praise our skills and dedication while trying to pick-pocket our pensions. 

"Police and ambulance workers have been granted protection for current members of their pension schemes. We don't understand why we are being singled out for worse treatment, and the public will not understand it either." 

He went on: "Feelings are running high and I am sure there will be a Yes vote for industrial action. Our members feel that we have been treated differently as a spiteful payback for taking action over pay." 

Mr Robertson called on the Executive not to bring in the pension proposals - which were negotiated at a UK level but will have to be put through Holyrood - in order to avert the possibility of strike action. 

The threat from the FBU adds to the pressure on the Executive from local government unions over the "rule of 85", which ministers say they have to scrap to comply with European laws on age discrimination. 

Unison, which represents thousands of local government workers, welcomed the FBU's move. A spokesman said: "We will be looking to make common cause with other unions and co-ordinate industrial action." 

Joe Di Paola, Unison's Scottish organiser in charge of pay bargaining, said: "Our members are prepared to defend their pensions in any way they can. If that means industrial action, then so be it." 

The GMB in Scotland is also to ballot its 50,000 members over strike action. Alex McLuckie, its senior organiser for public services, said: "Many employees have stayed in local government on lower wage rates and in a more stressful environment because of the pension scheme. 

"For a Labour government to force this on local government workers, aided and abetted by the Scottish Executive, will be seen as an act of treachery." 

The threat of industrial action brought a robust response from Tom McCabe, the finance minister. He said: "It would be a tragedy if people were encouraged to strike, and lose their income in doing so, over something that they cannot win." 

Mr McCabe said that the UK government, which is responsible for implementing EU law, would not want to be in breach of the age-equality rules laid down by Brussels. 

And he challenged the trades unions, who say they have legal advice that contradicts the government, to test the ruling in the courts. 

Mr McCabe insisted ministers were acting in line with "very firm" legal advice that the rule could be in breach of European equality legislation. He said that, with the change not due to take effect until October, there was plenty of time for the legal opinion to be tested in the courts. 

He also refuted the claim made by councils that the Executive had slipped out the decision in a written answer at Holyrood on Monday. He insisted the Executive had first consulted on the change in 2004 and had discussed it since then with unions and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. 

Mr McCabe also hinted that there could be scope to negotiate a "transitional arrangement" over the new conditions, which will be introduced in 2013. 

John Swinney, the SNP's finance spokesman, said: "The Scottish government should not be treating their employees in such a bad and shabby way. The Executive can do things differently from the UK government and it should be doing things differently, in Scotland's interest. 

"There are different conditions and different circumstances in Scotland. 

Ministers here should recognise that instead of always being a carbon copy of policies which come out of London."

PUBLIC SECTOR PENSIONS:

Firefighter:
 
Minimum retirement age: 50 
Salary at retirement: £25,850 
Contribution levels: 11 per cent 
Annual pension after 30 years (half salary): £12,925 
Lump sum: £64,625 Two and a half times annual salary

Teacher:
 
Retirement age: 60 
Salary at retirement: 30,000 
Contribution levels: 6 per cent 
Annual pension: 11,378 
Lump sum: 34,135 Three times annual pension

Police officer :

Retirement age: 50 
or after 30 years' service 
Salary at retirement £32,000 
Contribution level: 11 per cent 
Annual pension: £16,000 Half salary 
Lump sum: £80,000 Two and a half times annual salary

Social worker :

Retirement age: 65 
Salary at retirement: £31,000 
Contribution levels 6 per cent 
Annual pension after 30 years: £11,625 
Lump sum: £34,825 Three times annual pension

NHS nurse:
 
Retirement age: 60 
Salary at retirement: £27,000 
Contribution levels: 6 per cent 
Annual pension after 30 years: £10,125 
Lump sum: £30,375 Three times annual pension

Civil service office administrator:

Retirement age: 65 (For the most basic scheme) 
Salary at retirement: £18,000 
Contribution levels: 1.5 per cent 
Annual pension after 20 years service: £4,500 
Lump sum: £13,500 Three times annual pension