Workers at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering voted to strike in protest against the planned sale of the world’s third-largest shipbuilder.

Investors, led by state-run Korea Development Bank, plan to select a preferred bidder as early as August for their combined 50.4 per cent stake in the company, thought to be valued at about $4.2bn. KDB is the largest shareholder with a 31.3 per cent stake.