The lowest-paid office positions created as part of the Government's COVID-19 response are better-paid than most roles on the front line, newly released figures show.
And a union is calling for managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) and healthcare roles to be better paid.
Data released to Stuff under the Official Information Act shows office administrators in the COVID-19 Response Directorate earn between $46,094 and $63,081, while most MIQ staff are on the living wage of $22.10 an hour - adding up to $45,986.
Healthcare assistants and hospital aides employed by district health boards (DHBs) earn upto $48,003, but some are on minimum wage.
Unite union national secretary John Crocker said MIQ staff should be paid more in the wake of COVID-19.
"They’re facility workers now, they're not just housekeepers.
"The work they are undertaking is more complicated, there are more processes and procedures to follow, and there’s a high level of responsibility, not just to themselves personally but to the community as a whole - they are providing a vital function."
Some MIQ hotels are still paying below the living wage, and others only started to recently, he told Stuff.
Another union, E tu, said contracting out services had driven wages down - affecting frontline services more than those based in offices.
"Contracts for services tend to be awarded based on cost," organiser Mat Danaher told Stuff. "This means contractors have to compete on price, which forces them to try and undercut each other to win contracts."
Nurses have recently gone on strike for better pay and conditions.
COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told Stuff the Government values all staff working on the frontline, and nurses had recently been offered improved pay by DHBs.
As for MIQ, Hipkins said negotiations with the few facilities not paying the living wage were in progress.
