Health and Social Care Secretary promises “new deal for working people” in conference speech

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting (pictured) delivered a wide-ranging speech at the Usdaw Annual Delegate Meeting this week, placing a sharp focus on employment reforms, workers’ rights, and workplace wellbeing as part of the Government’s broader Plan for Change.

Speaking at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, Streeting praised the leadership of Usdaw – the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers – for its resilience in the face of mounting challenges in the retail sector.

Highlighting the impact of online shopping, high street decline, and the pandemic, he acknowledged that maintaining and even growing union membership under these conditions was no small feat.

He said: “Usdaw has grown and your Retail Recovery Plan is helping the sector to come back stronger.”

The central theme of Streeting’s address was the connection between good work and good health.

He said: “Central to good health and good mental health are good jobs.”

“So while I’m focused on fixing the foundations of our NHS, the whole Government is working hard to deliver our manifesto promise to deliver the new deal for working people.”

Among the key measures in the Government’s Plan to Make Work Pay, which recently passed through the House of Commons, are day-one rights against unfair dismissal, an end to exploitative zero-hour contracts, and a ban on fire-and-rehire tactics.

Streeting described it as “the biggest upgrade of workers’ rights in a generation” and credited Usdaw for having long campaigned for these protections.

He also linked poor employment conditions to the rising burden on the NHS, particularly around mental health.

Streeting cited Usdaw’s “It’s Good to Talk” initiative, which tackles stigma and supports workers dealing with stress, as a model for action.

He stressed that neglecting mental health affects not only individuals but the entire economy, as workplace absences weigh heavily on services and productivity.

To address this, Streeting reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to expanding mental health support in the workplace.

He said: “Last year, we provided almost 70,000 people with the support they need at work, up more than 60% on the year before. 

“We know a timely intervention on mental health can save anguish and distress further down the line, and to deliver this we need to expand the mental health workforce so everyone can access the right people, with the right support, at the right time. 

“That’s why our manifesto promised an extra 8,500 mental health staff: tackling mental ill-health and the causes of mental ill-health.”

In a wider context, Streeting tied workplace improvements to the Government’s broader health and economic agenda.

He argued that real change would not be measured solely in statistics but in how people feel in their daily lives.

“Am I getting a fair wage for a hard day at work?” he asked.

“People are really struggling at the moment — not living, just surviving. It’s not good for our health and it’s not good for our country.”

He concluded with a promise to deliver on the Government’s employment commitments while continuing to work in partnership with unions like Usdaw.

He said: “I want all of you to know that, in Government, all of us feel that pressure to deliver the change people voted for.

“We don’t want to let you or our country down […] change has begun and the best is still to come.”