The polemic of diploma retention by companies in Surabaya continuous. Responding to this, two experts at Universitas Brawijaya (UB) gave their views through interviews on (04/25/2025).
Definitively, Article 1 Number 1 of the Regulation of the Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Number 58 of 2024 concerning Elementary and Secondary Education Level Diplomas states that “A diploma is a document acknowledging the graduation of students from educational units on formal or non-formal education paths”. A diploma becomes a personal document that is attached to an individual, with functions such as continuing education to a higher level, applying for work, or other official needs.
Lecturer of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP) UB Ilhamuddin Nukman, S.Psi., M.A. assessed that the diploma retention actually arose from employers’ concerns about the risk factors carried out by workers. However, this does not mean that it is justified, since workers attach diplomas only as a formal requirement, while the main assessment is expertise.
“There are two important things for businessman to avoid these concerns, first a strict selection process. Second, there is training to avoid risk factors. If there are risk factors, there shouldn’t be in the form of diploma retention, but it can be through salary deductions or incentives as compensation,” he said.
Ilham said that the position of workers is indeed vulnerable in terms of power relations with the businessman. In fact, the working relationship should be mutualism, so a balanced relationship is needed between businessman and workers. To overcome this, he advised workers at all levels to join a labor union.
According to him, the government’s action to overcome the case of diploma retention in Surabaya is a form of the state’s presence. He considered that this case was an “iceberg” phenomenon. Furthermore, he sees this case arising due to limited employment opportunities, so that workers have few options for work.
“Workers also need to trace the background of the company, because we work, automatically putting half our lives in the company. The better the worker’s competence, the higher the bargaining power they have, for that workers must also try to increase their competence,” said Ilham.
In line with this, the Labor Law Expert of the Faculty of Law (FH) UB Syahrul Sajidin, S.H., M.H said that in principle the issue of diploma retention is the impact of the poor labor market in Indonesia. On the one hand, workers have difficulty getting jobs, while businessman also have difficulty getting workers according to expectations. This phenomenon makes workers take all kinds of jobs with rules that sometimes conflict with the law or are ethical.
Syahrul assessed that in fact the diploma retention occurs because of the low trust of businessman in the system and also workers. The best step recommended is to implement rewards-punishments properly and in balance. When working conditions are comfortable, rights are given in a timely and appropriate manner, then he believes that workers will be loyal.
‘‘Sometimes the provision of workers’ rights is late or seems to be postponed, while sanctions are given quickly to workers who violate. This condition has an impact on unbalanced employment relationships, so it becomes a problem,” he added.
Regarding wages, Syahrul believes that sometimes it becomes a problem. On the other hand, employers who do not implement the minimum wage can be subject to criminal sanctions. On the one hand, there is criticism from businessman who object to the provision of a minimum wage that is considered high. Therefore, he agrees that there needs to be a deeper study related to the proportionality of wage provision.
He added that the Job Creation Law provides flexibility for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to provide wages below the minimum wage provisions. This can be done as long as it is not lower than the minimum consumption limit of a region and the agreement of the parties.
In addition, Syahrul considered that it could not be resolved through casuistics only. Instead, there needs to be a paradigm straightening, where the dominant position of businessman does not mean they can be arbitrary, including in employment relationships. However, he emphasized that tolerance should not be absolute freedom that makes employers arbitrary.
“Government intervention is needed to standardize work requirements and worker conditions in an employment relationship,” concluded Syahrul. [FIM/MIT/UB PR/ Trans. Iir]
