UPDATED 8.12pm Pike River families are adamant they'll continue to protest outside the mine's access gates, after a heated meeting with Solid Energy today.

LISTEN ABOVE: Bernie Monk spoke to Larry Williams

The two parties met in Greymouth earlier this afternoon, with Solid Energy confirming it will go ahead with sealing the mine.

Family spokesperson Bernie Monk told Larry Williams they gave Solid Energy two choices.

"We gave them the option for them to sit down with us and our expert and discuss it or walk away all together."

He says now they'll have to put pressure on from other avenues.

Mr Monk, whose son Michael died in the mine, says they won't be going away.

He said they will be get the justice they were promised by John Key, by standing at the access gates or at the gates of Parliament.

"The Prime Minister is the one who made the promise to get our boys out, and he should front up himself rather than sending his monkeys to deliver the hard word," Mr Monk said.

"What makes it worse is the seal already in place complies with Worksafe's conditions. There's absolutely no need to pour 30 metres of concrete in there. It feels like they're just doing it because they want this whole thing to go away."

Ahead of the meeting today with new Solid Energy boss Tony King this afternoon the families where very skeptical.

An email from UK mining expert Bob Stevenson reveals the techniques Solid Energy used to de-gas the drift were the same as the families' experts recommendations that were turned down by the company.

Mr Monk said Solid Energy has been silent ever since.

He said they haven't spoken to those experts since then, and have shut the families out since day one.

Meanwhile more Pike River contractors are downing tools until the dispute over re-entering the drift is over.

The move follows Allied Concrete's decision to stop supplying the concrete for the permanent seal until the matter is closed.

Mr Monk said other companies tasked with sealing the mine have been in contact with him.

"There've been others that have said to me they're going to stand by us so I really applaud them for doing that."

Families have been occupying the main access road to the mine for 16 days.

But Solid Energy last week said the withdrawal of Allied Concrete wouldn't stop the mine being sealed by early 2017.

"The reality is that for the entire time since Solid Energy took over Pike River Mine in 2012, the drift has been full of nearly pure methane," the company said.

It said the first stage of sealing had already been completed - although it said it was "technically reversible" - and said the concrete would just complete a second stage to strengthen the seal.

Additional reporting by NZ Newswire