Imphal, March 18: A four-hour ceasework by non-teaching employees of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) today affected functioning of the institute with the staff forcing closure of the casualty and out-patient departments from noon.

The employees, who were demanding payment of salary arrears, also staged a sit-in in front of the administrative block that houses the office of the authorities, including the director’s office.

The striking staff comprised mostly of grade III and IV employees. However, doctors and nurses, who are yet to join the strike, attended to the patients in the wards.

New patients were not admitted to the institute today after the employees forced the closure of the casualty and out patient departments.

A spokesman for the striking staff said they had demanded immediate payment of 60 per cent of their salary arrears.

After the Centre adopted recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission with effect from January 2006, the employees of the institute, including the doctors and nurses, who are placed under the Union home ministry, are also entitled to the new pay scheme.

The authority of the institute paid 40 per cent of the pay arrears in May last year but failed to clear the remaining 60 per cent.

“We were waiting for the payment after institute director L. Fimate promised us that the pending arrears would be cleared after this year’s grant from the Union home ministry came. The Centre provided Rs 36crore for this year. When we met the authorities of the institute yesterday and request for the payment, the authorities told us that the arrears could not be paid as the funds would be used in repairing machines. This angered the staff and we decided to stop work from noon today,” the spokesman said.

However, the institute director today promised a delegation of the strikers that he would apprise the authorities in the health ministry of their demand. The team had met the director at his office this afternoon.

Sources said Fimate assured the strikers that he would pay the arrears once the Union health ministry gave its approval.

The staff decided to resume duty from 4pm following assurances from the institute’s authorities.

However, the employees are likely to continue their protest through other forms like sit-ins and demonstrations.

The sources said the doctors and nurses were also likely to join the agitation if the institute’s authority did not take steps for immediate release of the arrears.