Union chief quits migrant advisory council

Trade union boss Ged Kearney has quit an advisory council advising the federal government on skilled migration in protest against a crackdown on temporary foreign workers.

"The changes to the skilled migration visa system are only relevant to one in 10 visa holders so actually do not protect jobs for local workers," the ACTU president said in a statement on Friday.

"The visa system is being rorted and workers are being exploited every day but the government only cares about its political survival."

Ms Kearney made her decision after the government announced it would create two new classes of visas to replace the 457 regime and cut 216 classifications, with no consultation with the ministerial advisory council for skilled migration.

"I would have made it clear that the occupations that remain on the list, which include roof tilers, carpenters, joiners, chefs, cooks midwives, nurses and real estate agents, do not accurately reflect the genuine labour shortages in Australia," she said.