Justice Ministry denies influencing registry workers' strike

Saturday, 6 June 2026AI summary
Justice Ministry denies influencing registry workers' strike
Photo: RODRIGO ANTUNES/LUSA

The Ministry of Justice has rejected accusations from the largest registry union that it attempted to influence workers ahead of an upcoming strike. The union had claimed the government was instrumentalizing the Institute of Registries and Notaries (Instituto dos Registos e Notariado or IRN) to condition staff. The ministry maintains that it has not interfered in the industrial action.

Context & Explainers

The Institute of Registries and Notaries (Instituto dos Registos e do Notariado or IRN) is the government body that manages civil, land, and commercial registries in Portugal. It is currently processing a backlog of 516,000 nationality applications, resulting in average wait times of three years. These delays impact all applicants, including children and grandchildren of Portuguese citizens.