The Southern Rail ultimatum: 'Accept changes or be sacked'

Conductors at Southern Rail have been given a deadline to accept a payment of £2,000 to end industrial action, or they will face the sack.

High levels of staff sickness and months of industrial action by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union have caused travel chaos for months.

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has set the RMT a deadline of midday on Thursday to agree to the proposals, which includes a lump sum payment of £2,000 to conductors to be paid once the dispute is settled, guarantees on conductors' jobs until 2021, above-inflation pay increases for the next two years and guaranteed levels of overtime– The Telegraph and BBC News reports.

Conductors would also be asked to sign up to new on-board positions as part of an eight-point offer.