Now teachers and nurses may lose final salary pension

Teachers, nurses and firemen could all see their final salary pension schemes axed along with civil servants, the Government has hinted.

Unions are warning of nationwide strike action over the plans to reform the pensions of five million public sector workers and penalise those who retire early.

All 600,000 civil servants in Britain will be affected by proposals to raise their pension age from 60 to 65 and replace a final-salary scheme with one based on a "career average".

But Cabinet Office minister Ruth Kelly revealed that other government departments would consult on similar plans for the rest of the public sector.

The NHS will include the option in its own proposals in the New Year and the Education Department and Office of the Deputy Prime Minister could also look at the idea. When asked if other departments would pursue the changes, Ms Kelly said: "It's up to them."

Jonathan Baume, general secretary of the senior civil servants' union the FDA, said: "Every head teacher and senior manager in the NHS and local authorities should be under no illusion that it is only a matter of time before the Government turns its attention to their pension entitlements."