The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the introduction of a bill that will codify relevant provisions of four existing laws and intends to increase the legislative protection of minimum wage to the entire workforce. Media reports suggested the Codes on Wages Bill, 2019 will be introduced in the ongoing Budget Session of parliament and would benefit about 50 crore workers. According to media reports, the codification proposes to simplify 32 central labour laws into four codes to bring them in sync with the emerging economic situation, facilitate easier compliance by establishments, promote ease of living and ensure labour welfare and wage and social security for workers. The Code of Wages Bill is the first in the series of four labour codes. It seeks to subsume relevant provisions of The Minimum Wages Act, 1948, Payment of Wages Act 1936, Payment of Bonus Act Act, 1965 and Equal Remuneration Act 1976. On this edition of The Big Picture we analyse the need for labour reforms.