The important thing is to get there first. Boss Ivan, an employee of a funeral company in Ukraine, constantly repeats this to his team: when someone dies, you have to be there before the competition. “We are hunting for the body, explained the 39-year-old Ukrainian, sitting at a table in a cafe in Odessa, without any pretense, and agreed to testify under a pseudonym. It’s like an animal in the jungle. The lion will get the best part, the hyena will have to make do with the rest. »
Ivan has worked for sixteen years for the Ukrainian company Anubis, one of the market leaders, headquartered in Odessa but operating throughout the country. When the bombing occurred, he immediately rushed to the scene to offer his services to the bereaved families: “I gave them my card and told them I could help them if they wanted. » It so happened that agents from different funeral companies, who arrived at the location at the same time, fought each other. “Some people put us down in front of people, saying that we are too expensive, and offering the same thing at very low prices. But we are still the leaders in Odessa”boasts Ivan, a beard, and a black hoodie.
The competition is very tight. “ (To arrive first,) we have informal agreements with the police, hospitals and morgues, who will notify us as a priority in the event of a death, in exchange for financial compensationthe employee continued. All companies do this, otherwise how would they survive? » “That’s not corruption, that’s buying informationhe assured with a grin. It’s a chaotic market where everyone takes what they can. If I don’t agree to this method, my plate will be empty. The funeral business is like prostitution, drug trafficking and gambling, but no one wants to talk about it openly. » Contacted by Worldhis company, Anubis, did not follow up.
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