FRESHLY elected Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has been challenged by unions to visit Swindon to see alleged exploitation of workers first hand.

Following his clear victory in the Labour leadership contest on Saturday, securing almost 60 per cent of party votes, Mr Corbyn has met union leaders who said he will have to compromise many of his views in order to unite the party.

Sir Paul Kenny, leader of the GMB union, revealed he asked Mr Corbyn to visit Teesside and Swindon to speak to workers involved in disputes over employment and pay.

"I hope he agrees to speak to our members and witness first hand how they are being exploited," he said.

"In Swindon, agency staff are being told on the bus to work that they don't have any work for that day, and on Teesside, migrant workers are being underpaid and exploited.

"Jeremy has shown an interest in these issues and I am really pleased we have a Labour leader prepared to leave the Westminster bubble and speak to workers first hand."

Last month GMB members in Swindon picketed Nationwide in protest over claims cleaning and security staff working with Carillion are not paid the living wage, as the latest in a series of disputes against employers including Great Western Hospital and Marks and Spencer.

Other unions have spoken positively of the potential to work with Corbyn following the leadership election.

Unison general secretary Dave Prentis said Mr Corbyn's victory would renew Labour which would "bring about nothing but good."

He said: "We have been through a terrible defeat, but this overwhelming result will rekindle hope. I really hope hundreds of thousands of people will now return to Labour. It will give us the opportunity to have a new kind of politics - and win the next election."

Mr Prentis also spoke out against deselecting any Labour MPs who were opposed to Mr Corbyn and agreed that the new leader will have to compromise on some of his "very clear statements."

The union leaders were speaking in Brighton, where the TUC Congress opened today and will be addressed by Mr Corbyn on Tuesday.

Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, said there were a lot of "smiling faces" around the conference following Mr Corbyn's victory.

Some of the biggest unions in the country are not affiliated to Labour, including the PCS, Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union and Fire Brigades Union, but speculation that they could affiliate to the party was dampened.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "RMT supported Jeremy Corbyn's campaign for the Labour leadership and his stunning victory in the election has catapulted the fight against austerity and the anti-union laws right to the top of the political agenda.

"The speculation over RMT reaffiliation is, however, miles wide of the mark. That issue is not under discussion and the earliest that the matter could be raised is at our next AGM in June 2016.

"Our focus is on the fight right now against the attack on jobs, services and workers' rights and RMT will work with all our allies, including Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell, to resist the assault on our workplaces and our communities."