02/11/2016 BBC Wales Today

The battle begins to save 350 jobs at this meat processing

Unions and workers claim it would be devastating for the town.

You can't just take 350 people off work and not have any

History is made as Wales gets its first ever female bishop.

I sent Jo a one word e-mail this afternoon.

I don't know when she gets to open it, but it just said,

hallelujah and there were more exclaimation marks than letters.

There've been protests in Wales against fracking.

Now a former head of Greenpeace say ministers

Made in Wales, for audiences worldwide.

But the BBC Director General faces claims he's stalling on a promise

to fund more programmes like it. Good evening.

In tonight's sport: He's irreplaceable, says

Aaron Ramsey back playing last night and back in the Wales squad

Bosses have been meeting staff and union representatives at the 2

Sisters meat processing factory in Merthyr Tydfil, where more

than 350 workers are at risk of losing their jobs.

The company employs 1,100 people at the site, but wants

to move its packaging operation to another factory in Cornwall.

There's been a meat processing business on the site since 1999.

The factory opened in 1999, but 2 Sisters took over

With the latest, our business correspondent, Brian Meechan

Business was continuing at two Sisters today but workers were left

wondering what the future would hold for them. The abattoir and cutting

operations continue as usual but packing for steaks and other meats

for retailers will move if the plan goes ahead. Ben Landers has been

doing agency work here for a few months in the packing sections.

Agency staff are expected to be the first to go from the 350 jobs under

threat. Fairly worrying because there is nothing else around here

for us. It is what they are going to do to implement the changes made

there. It is very poor at the moment, there is hardly nothing

around here. The food industry can be notoriously difficult to operate

in and often profits are quite small. That is because when they are

negotiating with supermarkets, it is the supermarkets that have the

power. This site for example sells the vast majority of its product to

just one supermarket chain. Unions are confused over the company 's

decision to move the packing business to Cornwall and want to

know the reasons behind it. They were only informed yesterday. We

want to sit down and have a formal consultation with them. We will be

looking to safeguard as many jobs as we can not that plan. We will also

be looking at some counterproposals to safeguard all of the jobs. The

local Assembly Member raised an emergency question. If we talk about

350 people going, that is not just 350 people, that is the impact on

the families of those people. And of course, the impact on the local

economy. So you cannot just take 350 people out of work and that not have

any impact on the community and the economy. Merthyr has been doing well

in attracting businesses to the town. Major developments including

General dynamics are promising to create almost 900 jobs, requiring a

variety of skill levels. The unemployment rate has been falling.

In the last five years, it has halved from 14% to just under 7%.

But that is still higher than the Welsh average. But on the streets of

the town, people don't seem to be feeling the benefits. What is the

kind of job situation around here like at the moment? Hard. Hard. It

is all right for the Department for Work and Pensions to say you have

got to go out and get a job, but it is getting a job. People are out

there looking and you just cannot find anything. It is sad really.

Local farmers are worried about what the decision says about the state of

the food industry in general. This is going to sort of have an affect

on farm producers who are supplying the meat plant. It is scary in an

area where unemployment is high, it is the last thing we want to see is

a section of the economy being knocked again. The Welsh Government

invested ?1.2 million in this business six years ago. Ministers,

the company and the unions say they will work together now to try and

minimise the impact of this decision and the number of redundancies. They

will be 45 days of consultation to see what if anything can be done to

save jobs. Wales has its first

ever woman Bishop. Canon Joanna Penberthy says she's

"immensely humbled" to take up the job of Bishop of St David's,

in what's been described as an "historic moment"

for the Church in Wales. A decision to allow women to become

bishops was taken in 2013. For the past 1500 years, prayers

have been said here at Saint Davids Cathedral but today, this ancient

site of Christianity saw history in the making. Wales had elected its

first female bishop. Since yesterday morning, members of the Church of

Wales electoral College had been meeting to discuss their choice. At

lunchtime, the Archbishop of Wales broke the news. The bishop elect of

St Davids is Cameron Joanna Penberthy. Joanna Penberthy is 56

years old and is one of the first women to be ordained as a priest in

Wales in 1997. She knows St Davids well. Having already spent 11 years

as a canon at the cathedral. She also worked in the dioceses of

Llandaff and St Asaph and served in Bath and Wells. It is an historic

moment but what is important to remember is that Joanna Penberthy is

an enormously gifted priest, she is intellectually able, she preaches

well, she engages the people, she is able to relate to all sections of

the community. It is a great excitement here today.

Of course, not everybody finds it easy to accept but most of all, I

think people know that she is the most remarkable person, she is the

most excellent piece. Women bishops in the Church in Wales remains a

highly sensitive issue. Churchill was only changed here three years

ago. I sent her a one word e-mail this afternoon. I don't know when

she will get time to open it but it just said hallelujah. I did not know

that I would still be in the active ministry of the church when we would

get a woman as a bishop. Today has made me very happy. Joanna Penberthy

will be bishop elect until her appointment is officially confirmed

by the Archbishop at a secret service on November 30. She will

then be consecrated as a bishop at Lambeth Cathedral. -- Llandaff

Cathedral. She will then be enthroned in St Davids the following

month. Four men have been charged

with the murder of Mark Mason. The 48-year-old from Rhyl died

after an incident at the Home Bargains car park

in the town on Thursday. The men, all from Liverpool,

appeared in front of Llandudno There were more attacks on ambulance

staff here during the past year, Fire and police services in Newport

and Cardiff say they've been This mobile phone footage shows

an incident in the Pill area Meanwhile, fire crews in Cardiff

were attacked twice with fireworks, as they tried to put out a bonfire

in a Grangetown park. BBC Wales can reveal that the number

of people claiming the main long-term sickness benefit in many

former coal mining areas, has fallen by a fifth

in the past seven years. The communities in the south Wales

valleys have historically had some of the highest levels of claimants

in the UK. Our political editor,

Nick Servini, is here. There's an been intense debate

about Conservative-led welfare Now we have an indication

on what the real impact has been on the ground in one of the central

targets, to get those claiming long-term sickness

benefit back into work. Figures from the ONS

show that since 2008, the number of people claiming

employment support allowance. The main long term sickness benefit,

which replaced incapacity benefit, has dropped by just 4%

across the UK, despite huge But in Wales there's been

a 15% fall. And the reduction varies

depending where you are, so in Cardiff, the fall is 5%,

but in Rhondda Cynon Taff, Merthyr Tydfil and Blaenau Gwent,

there's been a 20% drop. Changes to sickness

benefit were always likely to have the biggest impact in former

mining communities because of the legacy of industrial-related

illness and deprivation. But it's not exactly clear

why the fall has been proportionately steeper

here than in so many other places. It's not explained by the numbers

who have been found fit to work in the tests,

called work capability assessments, which are designed to establish

whether someone is capable of work. In Wales around a fifth of people

fell into that category, Earlier in the week the UK

government set out plans One likely factor is also that

many people have hit retirement age and are now

claiming pensions instead. Or they could be returning

to the workplace because of Unemployment levels in Wales

are currently lower than most Supporters of welfare reform

will celebrate these figures. They argue that work leads

to healthier, more fulfilling lives, and it's an issue which has been

at the heart of enormous political But critics say it's

not as simple as that. They claim in many cases people

are being shunted onto other benefits unfairly and the result

isn't fulfilment but hardship. Controlled explosions have been

carried out at a number of schools and colleges in Wales,

following concerns about how a potentially explosive chemical,

often used in A-level chemistry Army explosive teams have

carried out the blasts, similar action has taken

place in England too. Handling hazardous chemicals on a

practical basis is something that happens at schools and colleges

across the country. Here at Bridgend College it is no different but

earlier this week, concerns were raised following the discovery of a

potentially explosive chemical known as DNP. It is a chemical that he

would find in any chemistry lab, anywhere up and down the country

really. We found it into the authorities and they gave us the

guidance there was no need for evacuation and the authorities came

and dealt with it on evening. Also on Monday, 1500 students at our

college were evacuated as the bomb squad were called to safely dispose

of the skin chemical and similar incidents have taken place at

schools and colleges across Wales and in a number of English counties,

including one village in Shropshire where this controlled explosion

caused alarm. This action has been prompted after guidelines on how to

safely store certain chemicals were recently updated by the Department

for Education. It is only when the bulk of the material becomes dry,

that is when we need to become concerned because when it is dry,

this material can be explosive. Last week in a similar but unrelated

incident, part of a Swansea University campus was evacuated for

this to happen. The bomb squad were called in to deal with another

potentially dangerous chemical. The Health and Safety Executive is

investigating. Meanwhile, schools and colleges are being urged to

check their storerooms as the safeguarding of pupils remains a

priority. Think Gavin and Stacey or Hinterland

- programmes set in Wales, Two years ago, the BBC

Director General, Lord Hall, promised there'd be more money

to make more of them. But appearing before

the Assembly's Culture Committee earlier, he was accused of stalling

over that promise, as no Lord Hall said he'd be making

an announcement in March. Here's our Arts and Media

correspondent, Huw Thomas. And following real-life

adventures on Anglesey. It's the kind of programming

the politicians want more of, ?22.5 million was last year's

budget, but by his own admission, the head of the BBC thinks

more needs to be spent. Lord Hall has set expectations high,

having warned two years ago that English-language TV programmes

about Wales had been But he began today's committee

appearance by saying any extra spending won't be

known until next March, setting the tone for a sometimes

fractious exchange. But we don't know what

you're going to deliver. We are working that throughout

you got to give us time The charter and the agreement

about the charter and the financial deal around the charter has been

settled this September. Showing Welsh life on screen isn't

just about finding local characters. The new series of Ordinary Lives

was filmed in south Wales, with Welsh accents, on a show

that could easily have A new charter for the BBC

means its priorities are set for the next 11 years and improving

the portrayal of communities TV producers who have been lobbying

the BBC hope it will help Wales and the people of Wales

shouldn't be invisible on the national television service

for Wales, they should not be inaudible on the radio services

and they shouldn't be inaccessible It's not that they are inaccessible,

inaudible and invisible yet, but if steps aren't taken to protect

the future of the media in Wales, who is to say how low down

the agenda it will slip? Whether it is stories about real

people from communities across Wales or the fictional characters that

bring compelling dramas to life, the BBC says it's committed

to making more of it, but it will be spring next

year until we know how It's already happening in America,

but ministers say fracking We hear from a former head of

Greenpeace who says, they're wrong. And manager Chris Coleman says

Ched Evans needs to play at the highest level,

if he's to be considered Public Services in Wales could "fall

off a cliff", unless more is done to try to prevent people

from falling ill. That's the warning from Sophie Howe,

the Future Generations Commissioner who says all public bodies need

to work more closely together Our health correspondent,

Owain Clarke reports. Ambulances, A, GPs

and waiting times. Health is never far

from the headlines. An extra ?240 million for the NHS,

but cuts to some areas of local government,

education and community projects. But research suggests that actual

health care may contribute as little as 10% to the health and well-being

of the country's population, much more important arguably

are things like the environment around us and the

quality of our homes. Tom Savary from Barry knows that

all too well. I did have a part-time job

for a while, but that just went out His problems began when he became

homeless when he was just 16, but what turned his life around

was not care from the NHS, but support from a housing charity

which found him a place to live. I sort of felt more confident

in myself, it got me back into looking for work and education,

it gave me hope that I didn't have If Megan is to succeed,

whatever her background circumstances, she will need to live

in a more equal Wales. She'll need to live in a community

that has everything she needs As this Welsh Government video

suggests, all public services have a part to play in trying

to make sure that we are healthy, happy and prosperous,

but how do you get them Last year, a new law was passed

in Wales to try to do just that. And this is the person whose job

it is to deliver those goals. One of the most critical areas,

I think, is focus on prevention. A shift really from just dealing

with the here and now. It would be like just

parking your ambulance at the bottom of a cliff and waiting for people

to fall over to actually getting on top of that cliff and making sure

that they don't fall It is something that we have got

to do because quite simply, if we carry on the way that we are,

our services are going The Welsh Local Government

Association for example is worried that if the NHS continues to consume

an ever-increasing proportion of the Welsh budget,

services that help people stay healthy in the first

place will lose out, storing up more problems

in the future. They say there is a risk that public

services could end up becoming no But what is the shape

of things to come? Health experts from around the world

have been discussing just that at this conference in Cardiff

and some think Wales through the future generations act

has at least an opportunity If you do it right,

if you implement the act, I think you can make your vision

for a healthier, more prosperous, more resilient, more

equal Wales a reality. If you don't manage to do that,

then I think inequalities will increase and maybe also

life expectancy decrease. The NHS is under more pressure

than ever before yet that pressure is unlikely to ease,

and less more can be done to prevent more of us from falling

ill in the first place and that is about more

than just a health service. The question is, where do

you strike the balance? Former head of Greenpeace says

the Welsh Government is wrong Stephen Tindale says it would allow

us to burn less coal and become less reliant on importing gas

from the Middle East. But protest groups here strongly

disagree and ministers have vowed Stephen Tindale says we should frack

for gas but many campaigners for the environment disagree

and the Welsh Government says its opposition

to fracking is unequivocal. I think the Welsh politicians,

like many politicians in England and Scotland,

are reacting to that sort of society pressure and saying it is not worth

the politics of standing up I think that is a shame

and it is important that people like me, who are in, I suppose,

the environmental community, who support fracking,

to speak out, rather than just saying, well,

we've lost that one. We met in the Vale of Glamorgan

where applications to explore Local people who fought plans

to drill in this field don't agree that shale gas does less damage

than other fossil fuels. At the well, gas leaks

and when you move gas from A to B, And most of these leaks are methane,

which is 20 times more potent as a greenhouse gas

than carbon dioxide is. So shale gas might be greener

to burn, but getting it out of the ground does a lot

of damage too? Getting it out of the ground

and all the way to the There is a lot of emissions

involved in that. Fracking or hydraulic fracturing

starts with chilling underground. Water and chemicals are prompted

to the shale rock at high pressure. That forces cracks to widen,

releasing trapped gas, which is flushed back up

to the surface. Supporters say it's created

an economic boom in parts of the US, but at an environmental cost

as a others. The view of the UK Government,

fracking should happen. Plans to frack on this site

in Lancashire were In Wales, licenses to explore

for oil and gas have been issued, including

near Port Talbot, at Pontrhydyfen. But the Welsh Government says

it is using the planning system to stop fracking and soon it

will get new powers to issue those licenses, meaning companies trying

to reach the gas underground Let's get tonight's

sport now with Tomos. Good news for Wales

fans tonight, Nicky. Aaron Ramsey is back in the national

squad to face Serbia in their World Cup qualifier

a week on Saturday. Manager Chris Coleman

says he's irreplaceable, having missed Wales' opening three

games of the campaign. Well, Coleman has made a 10 man

shortlist for Fifa's coach of the year award,

after guiding Wales It was his first start

for Arsenal since August Aaron Ramsey said playing 75 minutes

last night was exactly what he needed after recovering

from a hamstring injury. He looks good, he looks fit and he's

a huge part of what Obviously, with the talent

that he possesses. When asked about Ched Evans,

who was found not guilty of rape after a retrial last month,

Chris Coleman did not rule out picking him in future but said

he would have to be playing The striker, who last played

for his country five years ago, is now at League 1

side Chesterfield. The whole incident was

unsavoury, of course it was. But he's been freed,

so that's how we have to look at it. But from a football perspective,

what needs to happen is he has missed a lot of football

at the top level. The players will gather

here at their training base next week to prepare for a game

which this year falls on the eve Now, the players are still waiting

to find out whether they will be allowed to wear poppies

on their shirts. After requests from England

and Scotland were turned down by Fifa, the FA W will raise

the matter at a meeting The matter was brought

up in Parliament too. We want our players to be able

to wear those poppies and I have to say to Fifa,

before they start telling us what do, they jolly well ought to be

sorting their own house out. Wales played Serbia the last

time they were aiming to reach a World Cup,

but a humiliating heavy defeat the way nearly saw

Chris Coleman quitting. I can't believe I'm still

sitting here after that The change in fortunes has seen

Wales lose only one of their last 15 qualifiers but Chris Coleman has

warned his players that taking on joint group leaders Serbia

will be a huge challenge. Lions coach Warren Gatland says prop

Gethin Jenkins or flanker Dan Lydiate are the main candidates

to captain Wales against Skipper Sam Warbuton has returned

to the Blues. He's recovering from injury,

while another possible candidate, Alun Wyn Jones, will be missing

following the death of his father. We'll find out who's

in the team tomorrow at 11. The former world 400 metres hurdles

champion, Dai Greene, has been stripped of his

National Lottery funding. The athlete from Llanelli has been

left out of Britain's world-class Greene, who's 30, became world

champion in 2011 but has been Time now for the weather

forecast with Derek. Most of the country dry and pride

today. The sunshine showing off the beautiful autumn colours. This

picture taken in Chirk and how about this one from Neath? Tonight, most

places dry with one or two showers in the far north and west. Cold,

widespread ground frost. One or two mist and fog patches likely as well.

Here is the picture for eight o'clock in the morning. The south

and east will be cold and dry and bright. As we had further north and

west, it is a different story. Much cloudier with a few spots of rain, a

few showers. Some dry, bright weather tomorrow but cloudier than

today. That cloud thickener for some patchy rain and a few showers in the

afternoon. The Southeast may well stay dry. In Monmouthshire tomorrow,

a bright morning. Cloudier in the afternoon but it should stay dry.

Gwynedd, not as nice as today with rain in places. And then tomorrow

evening, some rain and showers will spread across the country. It should

turn drier and clearer after midnight. Not as cold as tonight. On

Friday, a mixture of sunshine and scattered showers. Some dry weather

in the mix. However it looks like some rain and heavy showers will

reach the North and west and parts of mid Wales later afternoon into

the evening. Over the weekend, the wind will turn into the North,

dragging called a rare down from the Arctic. We are in for a cold weekend

with a few showers in parts of the north and west. Even a dusting of

snow on Snowdon. Otherwise, a lot of dry and sunny weather. Frost in

places. The bobble hat will come in handy.

I'll have a quick update at 8pm and a full round up

From all of us on the programme, have a lovely evening.