hmm,
SF, whilst I see where you are coming from, I'd hardly call it a stunt - in fact doing so is (to me anyway) professionally insulting. If we don't extend it gets called a stunt, but if we do, and bend something, we get no thanks and have other unpleasant consequenses.
In any event, the full picture of this bonny adventure is yet to be revealed.
Oh, and any Airline manager harassing a pilot over refusal to extend his tour of duty, has the potential to place the said Airline's Air Operators Certificate at risk. (or so CASA re-assured me in a nice letter they once sent me.)
Rgds