Boeing workers have voted to go on strike after rejecting a 25pc pay rise.

Staff at the troubled planemaker voted by 96pc in favour of the walkouts which will halt production of its strongest-selling 737 MAX jet at its sites in the Seattle region of the US.

The union members’ first strike since 2008 comes weeks after new chief executive Kelly Ortberg was brought in to restore faith in the manufacturer after a door panel blew off a near-new 737 MAX mid-air in January.

Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) voted by 94.6pc to reject a contract that would have raised pay 25pc over four years, and then voted by 96pc to strike. 

The pay deal included a $3,000 signing bonus and a pledge to build Boeing’s next commercial jet in the Seattle area, provided the program was launched within the four years of the contract.

However, it fell short of the union’s initial demand for pay raises of 40pc over three years. 

IAM District 751 president Jon Holden said: “This is about respect, this is about the past, and this is about fighting for our future.”

Chase Sparkman, a quality-assurance worker, said: “As you can see, the solidarity is here.

“I’m expecting my union brothers and sisters to stand shoulder to shoulder, arm in arm, and let our company know that, hey, we deserve more.”

New Boeing boss Mr Ortberg said: “For Boeing, it is no secret that our business is in a difficult period, in part due to our own mistakes in the past. 

“Working together, I know that we can get back on track, but a strike would put our shared recovery in jeopardy, further eroding trust with our customers and hurting our ability to determine our future together.”

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