Windamere Hotel here has withdrawn its decision to enforce lockout from Monday after the management and workers agreed that full salaries would be paid to the staff only after the Centre allowed international tourists in India.

Md Rizwan, additional labour commissioner, (north Bengal zone), convened a meeting of the representatives of the management, trade unions and workers in Siliguri on Thursday and all the parties agreed to a set of conditions.

“One of the conditions agreed at the meeting is that staff will be paid full salaries only after the situation becomes normal and the Centre allows foreign tourists to visit India,” said a source.

Windamere built in the 19th century is considered as one among the best colonial hotels in India. The property with 38 rooms largely depends on foreign clients.

Until then, the 50-odd staff would be paid 50 per cent of the salaries. “The salaries would be increased to 60 per cent after the Bengal government’s restrictions related to Covid-19 are lifted,” said a source.

Ashish Subba, conciliation officer and the assistant labour commissioner of Darjeeling, said the hotel would continue to function normally. “Another meeting has been scheduled for August 6, 2021, at a convenient venue to discuss other subjects,” said Subba.

The lockout notice was issued on June 21 by Elizabeth Clarke, the managing director of the hotel.

“Due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic since the last one and half years the Hotel Management has suffered huge financial losses and ultimately has gone into financial crisis leading to financial debt,” read the notice.

Amit Gupta, the general manager and a director on the board of the hotel, said the lockout decision had been withdrawn keeping in mind the “welfare of the employees”.

“We will try our best to cope up with the situation,” said Gupta.

The management of probably the only colonial hotel in the Himalayas said it would try and attract more domestic tourists but admitted that the taste of the property was different.