Labour and Employment Minister Bandaru Dattatreya today introduced the Code on Wages,2017 in the Lok Sabha. <br/><br/>It seeks to empower the Centre to fix a universal minimum wage aimed to benefit over 40 crore unorganised sector workers. <br/><br/>The new legislation seeks to amalgamate four laws – Payment of Wages Act 1936, Minimum Wages Act 1948, Payment of Bonus Act 1965 and Equal Remuneration Act 1976. <br/><br/>Mr Dattatreya said, it has been done for simplification, rationalisation and making it less cumbersome. He assured the House that in no way the workers right will be infringed. <br/><br/>The Minister said, the legislation is going to bring in a historical change in the wages for workers and universal minimum wages will be implemented for the first time in India. <br/><br/>Mr Dattatreya said that he has held meetings with trade unions as well as Labour Secretaries and Ministers from the States while drafting the bill. <br/><br/>He said, the bill would help generate employment and attract entrepreneurs adding that there were 44 labour laws which were being clubbed in four codes and the bill introduced today deals with the code on wages.