Minister says ferry strike extension ‘unjustified’

A seaman smokes a cigarette at the top of a ferry ramp in the port of Piraeus during a strike on Thursday. The seamen’s PNO union extended its 24-hour action for another day, which means there will be no service between the Greek mainland and the islands until Friday. The union said it was extending the strike – "with the prospect of escalation" – because the Greek government had offered no solution to their sector’s problems. Shipping Minister Panayiotis Kouroublis said the decision was "unjustified." "The ministry goes to pains to solve PNO’s problems," he said. [Orestes Panagiotou/EPA]